Not to burst my own bubble

Wednesday, 4/10/13--5:45 AM moderate track workout.  Wonderful morning.  Little wind and 63 degrees!  Yes!

Left home at 5:35
Warmed up 1.0 mile.
Tried some new dynamic stretches; I've been doing far less static stretching as of late.
Started at 6:03 AM

The workout was 8 x 150.
Goal: 1st 2 in 22 sec; 2nd 2 in 21 sec; 3rd 2 in 20; last 2 in 19 sec.  Rest of 3 minutes/250m walk between each.

1st effort: 22.6.  I felt sluggish and off-kilter, like my wheels were going to fall off.
2nd: 22.3.  Better, more relaxed.
3rd: 21.5.  I'm in the groove now.
4th: 21.3  I did not feel like I was pressing.
5th: 20.4
6th: 20.2
7th: 19.7  I'm pressing now!
8th: 19.5 I felt like I was going nearly all-out.  I was hoping to break 19 seconds based on the effort I felt I was expending.

I think that I can go faster if I do this workout later in the day.  A cursory review of my history shows that I run faster later in the day, perhaps by as much as .25-.5 seconds per 100.  This means that had I done ths workout later in the day under the same weather conditions I may have run each 150 a half-second or so faster. 

Could it be, then, that I can reach break the 19-second barrier after all?  The last time I did was 4 years ago, I think.  An 18 would be a real confidence booster.

(Not to burst my own bubble, but ultimately today's workout was not much different from what accomplished right before the NYC Armory meet back in December 2012.  That day I set out to do 6x150 and 3x100. The goal for the 150s was 2@21, 2@20, and 2@19; the goal for the 100s was sub-13 seconds. I hit the first 150 in 21. The others met the mark as well, although I faltered on the last one (i.e., 20.1 sec).  The 100s were 12.6, 12.7 and 12.8.)

Per my PT's orders, I then went to a high grade hill to do some high knees, butt kicks, and skipping.  I bagged the uphill sprints, given my workout.  I then did an uncharacteristically short cool down.

Returned home by 6:48

Based on this workout, maybe I'm on target to run in the 53-second range for the open 400 next weekend like I did this time last year. 

150 meter workout--Possible 400 meter pace/conversion
22...59 (23,22,15)
21...57 (22,21,14)
20...55 (21,20,14)
19...53 (20,19,14)

1st 150--20 sec
2nd 150--19.50 sec
last 100--14.25 sec = 53.75

Imagine this: 18.75...52.5 (19.75, 18.75, 14)