800m Repeats

Workout today called for eight miles, but a group of people were heading out for 800m repeats on Flat Rd. and I thought I might as well join. I haven't done any interval work in a few months and it might be good to see where I stand. After a mile warmup we started into a headwind which also carried rain with it. The turn comes in around 600m and the headwind dies, giving you plenty of opportunity to sprint to the finish. The second 800 doesn't match the first. A recovery job towards the FireGate entrance and the start is there. Again, there is a turn at approx 600 meters. The headwind doesn't really affect you on this portion, but it's always tough to say. Here's how they turned out:

3:08, 2:53, 2:51, 2:44, 2:47

We had originally thought of doing 4 repeats, but decided tacking on an extra after the workout was supposedly finished. I had emptied the tank on the fourth repeat and struggled to beat the time on the last. I'll attribute it to the headwind I had to suffer on the last repeat. I still think it was pretty fast.

I won't say these were easy, but they were definitely faster than I expected. Granted, I was really pushing for the last 200 meters of each repeat, but the first 600 felt sustainable. The only reference point I have is this same workout that was done on September 2nd in the heat. I was hovering just below 3 minutes and was lucky to get below that. My last rep for that workout was 3:06. This time around, I had some pop in my step and was glad to see how they turned out. The recovery portions were a little lengthy (~3:00) but that's just how the course goes.

About 6 miles in 47 minutes

Pullups 9, 13, 9, 9, 8

Thrusters 4 X 5
Load: 120, 140, 140, 140

4 X 800 meter intervals, 400m rest (treadmill)
3:00 for all

Late Evening

About an hour of basketball. Started feeling frustrated with the lack of "team" play and the quality of the referees. Came to the stark realization that it would be better to enjoy the time for what it is rather than expecting others to elevate themselves. Still, it's tough to play in a game where the whistle is blowing every 30 seconds and you know you're team could be so much better if they trusted each other.

Workout comments: I'm not understanding the final set of pullups. I haven't done pullups since last Wednesday and took nearly 4 days off from any exercise whatsoever. Might be the structure of the pullup bar I'm using. I might be moving my body too far away from the bar during the pullup. Or I might be doing too few reps before a hanging rest and then completing the rest of the pullups. Doesn't make any sense. Next time I might try to avoid a superset, even if it does work complementary muscle groups.

800m Repeats

A very hot and scorching day today, temperatures probably reaching 95+ in the sun. The thermometer in my car read 101F when we finished. I hope that's not accurate. A few people from work make it a regular habit to run 800m repeats on Thursdays on a stretch of road called Flat Rd. No it's not a joke. Ironically, there is a slight increase in grade directly in the middle portion, right where both directions end. Here's the breakdown:

2:57
2:53
2:54
3:06

I definitely pulled back during the last repeat, thinking I was saving myself for the final hill. Unfortuntately, I found myself too far back off my pace coming around the first turn, and the deficit was just too much to make up in the final minute. I'm sure my legs will be feeling this later.