Training Tuesday: Reintroducing Myself to the Track

Hi friends!  Sorry for the million day hiatus!  I've been home from my marathon vacation for about a week but have had a little trouble getting back into the blogging thing (although I have loved reading all of your blogs still!).  I'll do a vacation photo recap in a few days, but for now I want to squeeze in a training post while it's still Tuesday!  I'm still training for my second triathlon, but this week marks my first week of training for my next venture--a 5K PR, ideally a sub-30!  I am so hungry for this goal, you guys.  Seriously.  Unfortunately, this goal is going to be a BIG challenge for my slow legs so it looks as though I'm going to have to, you know, actually WORK for it.  That brings me to...

The track.  I can't remember the last time I ran on a track (minus Girls on the Run practice last year), but I'm guessing it was probably my junior year in college.  In any case, it's been awhile!  I hate the track for a few of the usual reasons--it's hot with the sun baking down on the black track and lack of shade, it's boring running in circles, etc.--but also for one secret reason.  Promise not to tell anyone?  I feel embarrassed running so close to other people for any period of time.  Let me explain--I am not shy about how I look running or anything like that and could care less if other people see me or run by me outside.  But...I'm slow.  Like SLOW slow.  The thought of other runners lapping me like crazy on a track just isn't appealing.  Even as I type that, I know how ridiculous it sounds!!  I KNOW there is nothing to worry about!  I KNOW the runner community is nonjudgmental!  But still, I was a little anxious about heading to the track this evening for my first ever session of speedwork.

Even so, I pulled on my Brooks and tempo shorts, waited for the temperature to drop below 95, and moseyed my way to the community college track around 8:15 this evening.  The training plan I'm following is loosely based on the one in the June issue of Runner's World, and tonight's intro to speedwork was a quick 3 x 400 at just below 5K pace.  Since I'm a Galloway runner (run/walk intervals), the pace of my running legs has to be even faster than the 9:39/mi average pace required to finish in 29:59 to make up for the walk breaks.  I decided to experiment with my pace today.  I started with an easy 400m which I finished in 2:36, then ran 3 more laps at a fast pace, each followed by a lap of walking to recover.  My splits for the 3 x 400 were 1:54, 1:42, and 1:38.  I just focused on finishing each lap faster than the previous one, which was easier said than done even with a slow lap in between!  I'm pumped about how this workout went and excited to add another 400 next week.  Hopefully this work pays off in the end and I bust out a 29:59 5K this fall!  But if nothing else, I have conquered another goal by getting over my fear of the track.  2012 is the year of BEING FEARLESS!

Do you do speedwork as part of your training?  What do you do for speedwork?