Tempo Workout in Mississippi (Entry done on 3/20)

Gilbert's schedule called for an interval ladder workout on the track today: 2000m, jog 400m, 3 x 1000m, 2:00 rest jog between, and 3 x 400m, 1:00 rest between, all at 10k pace. Again, without a track, I substituted a workout of 20 minute warmup, 9:00 pace, 3:00 jog, 3 x 4:30 pace, 2:00 jog between each, and 3 x 1:40 pace, 1:00 jog between, followed by 20 minute cooldown. The way I'd be doing it would be a bit tougher than on the track, since my course was rolling country roads instead of flat track, and I'd be running to a time standard instead of a distance standard. I based the tempo interval times on my approximate pace for those intervals on past workouts.

It was even colder this morning, 41 degrees, still humid and breezy. I headed out and slogged through the wet and sticky gravel/clay road out to the county road, and the 20 minute warmup was 2.2 miles again, about 9:25 pace. I felt great, and started up the longest pace interval. That 9:00 interval took me up and down some rolling terrain, past two different packs of farm dogs that chased me, and past a bunch of houses and trailers along the road. It was pretty quiet except for the dogs, who helped me crank up my pace, I'm sure. The 9:00 covered 1.15 miles at about 7:55/mile pace. 3:00 of jogging later, I was off on the 4:30 intervals. They averaged about .6 miles each, pace varying between 7:40 and 7:50/mile, with 2:00 jogging between. I was headed back by now, and the 1:40 intervals were all at about 7:30 pace, with 1:00 jogging between. I was pretty tired by then, and gratefully headed back onto the property for the cooldown. I headed back into the fields for that, enjoying the mud and muck as I took in the beauty of the landscape. The 2 miles of cooldown were more like 10:00 pace, as I needed the slower pace to let things settle down.

For the day, total mileage was 9 miles, more or less. Tempo bits were averaging 7:45/mile. I like this workout when it's on the track, and I enjoyed it almost the same doing it this way on the roads. This was the first 4 in a row workout week I've had since Freescale. I feel really good. I stretched afterwards and did 4 x 30 crunches/extensions, 2 x 12 pushups and 2 x 25 back raises as usual.

Rest of the day was spent with my brother, David, who was visiting from Vicksburg. We got to burn some brush piles, which is always fun, and finished up more furniture moving for Mom. It was a fun family day, and the sun even came out in the afternoon for a warmer time.