Cutting Shapes with Special Needs

Time: ~47 minutes
Distance: 7.65 miles

W/u: 22:07 for 3.05 miles
W/o: 12 x 400 in 64-66 with 1 min rest
C/d: 12:30 for 1.55 miles

I had a workout for this morning planned after a little retooling of the training program. Jailhouse scheduled me to cut shapes in a workout that I tanked last week. The venue for this workout was new and along Runnymede at Myers Park Middle School. Their track looks nice but is just ever-so-slightly coated with rubber. Thus, the track is hard and relatively fast, if not short by 5 meters. The common finish line was 5 meters beyond the lane 1 400m start, but since I was starting and ending at the 200m line I paid little attention to this minor detail.

My splits were:
65.26 (60), 63.47 (61), 63.55 (61), 64.42 (61), 64.37 (61), 63.80 (61), 64.60 (61), 64.82 (61), 64.67 (62), 61.27 (62), 65.97 (61), 63.60 for 24:02 total and 64.15 average.

This was a much better effort than last week's late night workout. I felt fresh and light on my feet. I also averaged over 2 seconds faster per interval. Today I didn't feel all that snappy but I can tell there is more in the tank. After number 8 I felt my form was starting to break down after 250m. I had to concentrate on the hammer interval (number 10), but I felt relaxed and fluid dropping a 61.27 in there. The following interval wasn't so hot but I finished on a good note.

Around interval 9 a special needs class came out to walk the track. At first I didn't realize who was in the class as some of the boys seemed to really enjoy running, but then I was able to observe a little more during my rest. I'm thankful that I wasn't asked to leave as I had a good session going. I apologized after my hammer interval and told the teachers that I was only going to be out here for two more. They didn't seem to mind that I was using the track which is something I will note.

Who would have thought that Dathan Ritzenhein would break Bob Kennedy's American 5k record today? Anna Willard breaking 4:00 in the 1500? Good stuff. That track in Zurich must have been as short as the one at Myers Park MS today.