~2K, ~2x1.5K, ~2x500m

Yesterday: 40 min elliptical

This morning was aggravating.

I went to East High track. When I arrived, I noticed that the construction had gotten more extensive and the normal entrance was blocked. About this time, a guy in a contractor pickup truck pulled up and said, "The track's closed until August". No notices had been displayed...nothing...no warning...just closed. I asked him some questions and found that they are replacing the grass with Astroturf. Oh yay. Score 1 for the football team, and 0 for track workouts.

So just for kicks (by this time I wouldn't have had time to do a workout there) I drove over to Highland High to see what their track was like. Guess what? It had the SAME problem. The entire field was torn up. REALLY?!??!? I can't catch a break.

Then I drove home in disgust, figuring at this point I'd have to be late to work and work out at the track at the University of Utah. The problem with that track is that lanes 1-3 are closed all the time unless the track team is using it, which is understandable but quite annoying. My tax dollars and some of my boss' grant money goes to the schools and the U, and so indirectly I'm paying something for these tracks. I'd like to be able to use them.

Once home, I figured out the calculations for lane 4, which is apparently 420m on a typical track. So to do my 2K, 2x1500, 2x500 workout I'd do approximately 4.75 laps for 2K, 3.5 laps for 1500, and 1.2 laps for 500. Approximately. Then I could work out the details on my spreadsheet (because that's not exact, but it would work for doing the workout).

When I arrived at the gym, my aggravation increased. The signs said 1) no hot water from May 9-22 (no showers! ugh! I use the showers there after I work out!), and 2) the BRAND NEW indoor track will be closed for repairs (repairs?!?!?! so soon!) from May 7-17. Crap. It's like the tracks of Salt Lake City are conspiring against me.

When I finally got to the track, I did a 4-lap warm-up in 10:46, including strides, and then some dynamic stretching. I started my workout and did the 4.75 laps in 11:43.3, which works out to 11:45.1 for 2km. My left piriformis and right shin/front of ankle started to nag but focusing hard on technique and posture kept the nagging from getting any worse, and in fact it seemed to feel a bit better the farther I went. 11:45 wasn't fast but there was a lot of workout left, so I was OK with it. Then the 1500s. The first one felt decent and I did 3.5 laps in 8:40.5, which works out to 8:51.1 for 1500. Not very good for feeling decent. It was getting warmer outside and I'm not used to it at all, and my legs were also getting tired, so the next one was slower at 8:44.5, which is 8:55.2 for 1500m (ugh...that's so slow). Then all I had left was the 500s, which I figured I could do OK. It's easy to see 400m on a track, even in lane 4, because they label the stagger. So I started at the staggered line and did 400m, and then guesstimated by time another ~100m. I think these might have been slightly short? Ugh. They were 2:51.8 and 2:50.9, for whatever that's worth - I don't think I was that fast...but I really don't know. The photo at left is at the end of my workout.

Doesn't matter, actually. We (my coach and I) know I'm not fast right now, and what really matters is the training. Somehow, someway, I have to believe that if I keep training that I'll improve and someday get back close to where I was when I left off. I'm only two years older, which is something, but it's not THAT much of a difference. I should be able to get close to where I was. It's hard to believe that right now, but I'm trying.

The temperature was 16.1C (61F) at the track when I started, apparently (Garmin website weather data). It felt a little warmer, but it was really sunny and the website says overcast. Whatever! Good thing I had plenty of sunscreen on even though it was only 9am. Gotta watch that skin. Don't need any more wrinkles or age spots!

I finally got to work at 10:20am. Geez. Good thing my hours are flexible. I have to come in tomorrow for a little bit so it's not like I'm feeling overly guilty about being a bit late. Last week my boss gave me some nice compliments (despite the fact that our project isn't going super smoothly - but that's research, and science in general, not really me) so I'm feeling OK about things at work.

Garmin data here.