Better to call it a day rather than call it a season!

Monday, 1/18/16

Went to the Y.  Did about 10 minutes of upper body work and 10 minutes of leg work.  Closed with a 3:30 half-mile on the donut track.

Sunday, 1/17/16

I met up with the crew at Radnor HS at 9AM on this 30-degree morning.  Bruce, Rob, Chuck K., Chuck S., and Duncan ran with me.  Neil, Tim, Mary, Rebecca, and Betsy did their own thing.  

I decided that we would do what I did a few weeks back: a modified version of the Russian intervals workout.  As written for a high school 2:00 800 meter runner, the Russian intervals workout consists of 5 x (3x300m @ 48 with a 30-second/100m jog-rest between runs and an 800m jog/rest between sets.)  This means 5 sets of 3 300s in 48 seconds, with 30 seconds' rest between runs and an 800 meter jog between sets!  OMG.  I have done a modified version of this workout in the past.  For example, I have tried five sets of 2 x 300 or even a couple sets (3 or 4) of 3x300, but never five.

I decided to do 200s instead of 300s.  My plan was for us to take exactly 60 seconds between runs and jog the 800 between sets in 6:30, or rest for the equivalent amount of time.  My goal is to build towards the original workout Russian intervals workout described above.  With my goal of 30 seconds per 200, here's what I managed:

Set 1: 30-mid, 60 sec rest, 30-mid, 60 sec rest, 31-high

6:30 800 meter jog

Set 2: 31-low, 60 sec rest, 30-mid, 60 sec rest, 30-mid

6:30 800 meter jog

Set 3: 30-mid, 60 sec rest, 30-mid, 60 sec rest, 30-mid

6:45 800 meter jog

Set 4: 30-mid, 60 sec rest, 31-mid, 60 sec rest, 30-low

6:55 800 meter jog

Set 5: 29-low, 60 sec rest, 29-low, 60 sec rest, 28-mid

I averaged 15 seconds' less rest than when I did this workout back in December.

While I was hoping to run 30s, which, on average, would have been about a half-second to a second faster per repeat than what I managed a couple of weeks back, this 9:30 AM workout performance was pretty good.  I will try not to let the 31s bother me.  

By my estimate, an average pace of 30-mid throughout the workout translates to a 31-mid 200 pace within an 800-meter race.  This amounts to a 2:06 800 meter race. Seems I am in 2:06 condition.  

I would like to do these repeats in sub-30 eventually.  Alternatively, I'd like to do this workout with 45 or 30 seconds' rest between 200s.  I need to force myself to get stronger and tougher!  I would also like to give the breaking the barrier a shot soon.  

The rest of the crew did well.  Rob started with a 33-second first set, then moved to a 33/32 set, then to a 32/31 set, then to a 31/30 set, and then to a 30 sec set.   Perhaps that with a workout average of 32-low sec Rob can race about 2:14.  The other guys saw similar patterns (e.g, 33/34s and 34/35s).   My buddy Bruce caught a stitch, and after three sets smartly listened to his body and stopped.   Better to call it a day rather than call it a season!

Saturday, 1/16/16-

I did two Rustin loops at an easy pace.  14:30/13:00-->27:30.  3.6M