Distance hangover

Last week, I had a great workout despite feeling lethargic even after the warmup, so as I moped my way to the track this week, I hoped I was in for an encore. I finished my warmup with a 74 second quarter, and didn't feel too stressed, so things boded well. The workout was 6x1200 with two apiece at 74,73,72, certainly attainable, and I was eager to do it. I led the first one in 3:41, after a 76 second first 400. The second one, also 3:41 felt fine. Our pacing was perfect for the first lap of the third, but I suddenly got extremely tired, and I showed why running 21+ miles the day before a workout is a bad idea. I took Lily for almost two miles around the track, then did another mile or so before hitting the road for another cooldown.

I was still feeling wrecked in the morning when I did a Park Plus, so I cut off the second time on Highland and came up Grove instead for 6.5. Because I didn't push myself too hard last night, I will take another shot at the workout tonight at NOVA's fundraider 5k for Jerry. It just so happens I'll be doing one of my other coach's workouts- running the first mile hard then fartleking the rest, probably 1:15 on, 1:30 off. That should give me a good workout but not drain me for the Run Around the Square Saturday morning in Pittsburgh.

I've done that race three times- had my ass kicked once, run away with it once and done alright once. In 2004 I just couldn't handle the hot and humid weather that floored me before the first mile was over. In 2008, I ran with the overflowing enthusiasm of having returned to a job I liked, but in 2009 I had just done too much hard running that week, including a 12-mile tempo two days before, to be able to hang with Remix and an SOB from ERW.

The temperature has been cooling consistently, and soon I'mm feel secure in going out for 12 or 13 and can get back to some of the places I have been neglecting, Annandale in particular. And, with my new Zipcar membership, evening runs at Difficult Run are much more feasible.