For some reason, on Monday morning, I decided it was MY DAY to do speed work! I called it "Sneaky Six o'clock Speed". (Sneaky because I didn't plan on it, I decided to do it on the fly... Six o'clock because I got it all done in the 6:00am hour.)
I didn't go to a track. That requires too much planning. And it is scary. I have a loop around my house that is .66 miles. The route is basically flat... there are parts with a little bit of an incline and a little bit of a downhill. But it's a circle, so it all evens out.
Here is what I did:
.66 mile warm up
.33 mile on, .33 mile off five times
Cool down: Walking, and LOTS of stretching!
The goal for my "ons" wasn't to sprint as fast as I could. It was just to pick up the speed a little bit. But as my workout went on, it was easier to go a little faster because I was getting warmed up.
It equaled out to 4 miles @ 7:54 pace. My "ons" were anywhere between 6 minute miles and 7:30 minute miles. My "offs" were in the high 8s. I wasn't obsessed with my pace, I just made it a point to glance down once in awhile.
It was a short little workout but it got my heart pumping and ready for my first day back at work! My body felt strong the whole workout. Even though it was really early, it was quite hot and I was super slimy after my run... It was the special kind of slimy... "speedy slimy"!
I would love to do some more purposeful speed work once a week. Hopefully I will remember this great feeling and it will motivate me to do it again!
Tell me the last time you had a great speed workout, or a workout that made you feel very accomplished!
Are you a morning runner? Running first thing is my SHIT!
Yes, I am a morning runner...getting ready to go out now! Great job with the speed workout. My speed workout this week will be a 10k on Thursday.
ReplyDeleteI hope your morning run was AWESOME!
DeleteI agree that tracks are scary!! I do my speedwork on a .3 mile loop in our park.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a morning runner naturally, but I force myself to run in the mornings sometimes. Today, for example, I was done with my 5 miles before sunrise!
Nice! I know you have to battle humidity! Sometimes I think about you because after a run all I want to do is just jump in a pool. So I think to myself, "Ali gets to do that!"
DeleteYou'll get to do it post-BDR!!
DeleteI will run in the mornings in the summer but you will never find me up before 6 am during the school year..lol. I continue to be impressed with your speed considering all the pain you've been through lately! Good job!
ReplyDeleteThank you! But I generally don't feel pain during a run. It is after I pay for it. Yesterday... I paid. But I blame teacher in-service and sitting down all. damn. day. for that one!
DeleteHOLY SMOKES, woman! That's fast, and early. I haaaaate running early in the morning. I could never do speed work in the morning. I can barely get my ass out the door! (I'm procrastinating right now, as I'm supposed to be running and I'm sitting at the table drinking coffee).
ReplyDeleteDon't call it procrastinating, call it "preparing"! I always run better if I have time to wake up, eat, digest, relax a bit. But during the school year... Most times I choose sleeping over extra time to procrastinate in the morning!
Delete6:00 pace? Holy crap!
ReplyDeleteI like morning running but it's just too hard to get up. These days I'm always so unbelievably tired in the AM - I can barely get up for work let alone a 5 AM run. If I didn't have to get up until 6 to run it might be easier. I like to run easy in the AM but I don't think I could do speed work that early unless it's on a treadmill. I cannot run fast in the AM, and to get the maximum benefits from speed work I want to do it when I can run the fastest, early evening.
I definitely understand your logic of doing speed when you feel the speediest!
DeleteRunning that early for me is just the lesser of two evils. It sucks getting up early, but I am soooo tired after work and some days am not done until 7pm. But really, it doesn't matter if I'm done at 4 or 7- I'm just really pokey at night!
Yeah...I don't LIKE running in the evening after work either. But at least I'm awake. Since I don't really have evening commitments that force me to work out in the AM, it's just too easy to procrastinate even when I'd rather run in the morning. Morning Brain doesn't fight fair.
DeleteSpeedster!! I am NOT fast. Decidedly slow. But I ran 20 miles on Saturday, so I felt good about that!
ReplyDeleteI prefer to run at night or in the afternoon, but with the So Cal heat- i wake up at 4am to run. ugh.
Wow, that is dang early!
Delete20 miles- that's awesome! I could not run 20 miles right now. The last time I ran that far was like a year and a half ago!
Nice job on the speed workout! I never plan speed workouts but last week I had a very fast run so I called it a speed workout (#myrules). I always workout before the sun comes up. I often leave my house before 5 am. If it doesn't happen then, it's just not happening. Love that time of day.
ReplyDeleteI swear I already replied to your comment! My blog is being weeeeeird today! I remember I asked what time you go to bed at night?
DeleteNice job on your speed workout! I have one tomorrow and hope I enjoy mine as much as you enjoyed yours. Sounds so fun!!
ReplyDeleteWe both know you will love your speed work!
DeleteIt is still really hot and humid at 6am. I am surprised! It will be perfect speed work weather in October.
ReplyDelete