Speed Anew

Back at it after the two winter marathons, taking it kind of slow and easy. I've stuck with the three day a week program for the time being. I continue to nurse a few nagging aches and pains - right ankle, left heel and left buttock/hamstring. I'm too stubborn or stupid to take the proper time off. For now the plan it to focus on a time goal at Missoula in July and to train through Illinois at the end of April. To some this might seem wrong, but for me right now its the right choice. After Missoula I fully expect to take a break, assuming I can hold thing together until then. Most of the winter I got my speed work in by taking extended lunch hours to be able to run in the sun and the daylight on a well marked bike path. Now that daylight savings time has blessed us with its presence I was able to move those workouts back to the end of the day. And as an added bonus I've decided to join a local group of folks, the Glendora Ridge Runners, at their Tuesday evening speed sessions on the track of Azusa Pacific University. The Ridge Runners are a speedy bunch. I'm always bringing up the rear of the elite group. They are gracious enough to wait for me before starting the next interval. When I was doing my own speed work based on the first plan I always agonized over the distance and pace, bringing notes along with me to be sure I didn't forget any of the details or the prescribed pace goals. Now that I'm running on Tuesdays with the Ridge Runners, I don't know what I'm in for when I get there, so I just run as fast as I can. Every week we are in for something different. Each week calls for a 2 mile warm up, the speed stuff and a 1 mile cool down. Exactly the protocol I was following anyway. Week 1 we ran 5 x 1K. I averaged 4:35 for each 1K. Last week we did 1 x 1 mile, 1 x 1200 and 4 x 400. This week we started off with a 2K that I thought was never going to end. I got lapped on my 3rd lap by the fastest guy, Joe and then lapped on the 4th lap by both Owen and Jose. At 9:34 it was finally over (7:41 pace). We followed that with 1 x 1K, 1 x 800 and 1 x 400. My times were 4:41, 3:44 and 1:42. I don't think I could have gone any faster on that last 400, I gave it pretty much all I had. It kind of sucks to always be the last one done, but I know that the challenge of keeping up should help improve my speed. My left heel and arch were shot by the end and are on ice now. I'm enjoying the new challenge so I hope my poor tired wheels will hold on for a couple of more months. I promise to take a break after that, really I do.