First Speed Workout

Whew. That's not easy stuff. But the goal is to be "faster than fast" as Shankopotomas's pal Lighting McQueen would say... So somebody just tell me that speed intervals, tempo runs, etc. work and I'll get faster. Please???

I got a text from my marathoner-to-be friend last night inviting me to accompany her on her planned 8 mile run today. I'm still babying the foot a little, even though it felt painfree pretty normal yesterday, so I passed. Plus the forecast was calling for strong winds + rain. She didn't care. I do. I'm a fair weather runner. I totally own it. I've learned to appreciate, and dare I say like, the "cold" (and by cold I mean anything between 32 and 50 degrees- I don't do below freezing). No freaking way I was running in sustained 20mph wind with measured gusts up to 42mph. So I hit the treadmill at the gym.

I started with a 1 mile easy jog. Then I did 1/4 mile intervals (would have been 400's if I was on the track). My faster than fast speed was 8mph (pace 7:30/mile) and my recovery jog was 4.5mph (13:19/mile). I did 4 of the intervals at that pace, then slowed the fifth one to 7.5mph (8:00/mile). I think I might was well run it at the 7:30/mile pace because that means it's over faster it'll make me better. I finished with a 1 mile cool down jog. Total distance 4.25 miles.

Three thoughts that I remember from this run:
1- Holy cow that chick 4 treadmills down is in badass shape. Tall and lean and muscular. And she's making her intervals at an incline of like 15 look easy.
2-  This is "only 7:30 pace." The guy who won Dallas Rock n Roll was under 5 minute pace. How. Does. That. Work. That must feel like flying.
3- The person on the treadmill behind me sounds like they have 4 hooves. I could hear them pounding the treadmill over my music. 

My foot feels good. I'm praying that it's all better and I can go back to running as planned. I'll do 3 miles on Wednesday and maybe 2 on Thursday after I strength train. That'll be 12-ish for the week, including the 5k on Saturday. Longer runs will resume next week, though even those will feel short compared to what I've been doing for the 1/2 marathon.