A blog for (semi) athletic middle-aged men (and women) holding on to (the last vestiges of) their youth
by training for and competing in running, cycling, swimming and triathlon events!


Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Back in Action

I forced myself out of bed this morning and headed to the Castle View High School track to do some speed work. As I ran the first lap I thought, "I'm just not into this." But as my workout progressed my body and mind warmed up to the idea.

I ran my first mile at a consistent pace of around 8:45. I did my second mile at a progressive pace -- running each lap faster than the previous lap -- finishing around 8:30. For my third mile I ran at an easy pace for the first half of each lap and sprinted the last half. This type of workout -- called fartlek -- is supposed to help develop aerobic and anaerobic capacity. For me, it seems to help me push beyond "jogging" at a 9-10 min/mile pace to actually running!

I plan to do track work at least once a week between now and the Chicago Half Marathon on September 9. I hope it will help me build the speed and endurance I need to reach my goal of finishing under two hours -- or about a 9 min/mile pace.

Tomorrow evening I am planning to do a Snug Run with some colleagues who are also training for the Chicago Half. My goal is to runa sub-25-minute 5K (8 min/mile) for the first time since moving to the Denver area a year ago.

Daren

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please share your comment or question here!