Track work

Did my first V02 Max workout at the track this morning. It also marked the first time of this training cycle that I've gone on a run north of the waterfront. I've stayed away from the city to avoid the traffic lights (and traffic).

Plan called for 8 miles, then 5X600 at 5K race pace. I haven't run a 5K in quite a while and the last time I did last summer, it was a hot, humid day. Not ideal conditions to test out my time.

I ran about 3 miles up to the track, a nice big 400 metre attached to a high school and at 5:40 a.m., still dark out, started the 600s. Here they are, with 90 second recoveries.

1. 2:14
2. 2:24
3. 2:25
4. 2:22
5. 2:25

The first 600 metres was clearly run too fast. I reminded myself that I wasn't running at one mile race pace, but 5K. I had planned to do a 2:30 600 metre, which would correspond to a 3:20 800 metre (the Yassos). Fran pointed out that McMillan says Yassos are a little off. In any case, it meant I had to do 50 second 200 metres and I was consistently doing 45 seconds or faster. I felt like I was running at a 5K pace but maybe I'm wrong. I'll find out in the next weeks as the intervals increase to 1000m, 1200m and 1600m.

My heart rate maxed out at 182 bpm during the fourth 600. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly is my maximum heart rate. (A 5K race would probably help figure that one out).

It was a good first track workout in a long time and I feel the gains in training and loss of weight helping my running. Tomorrow, a 5 miler... Woo hoo, have to love the recovery week.