So this is Speed Work

1 mile warm up, 4.02 miles threshold, 26:48, 6:40 pace, Max HR = 179, Avg HR = 170, 1 mile warm down

I entered some specs at the runner's world website to generate a training plan for the next nine weeks prior to the Crescent City Classic 10K. I used my PR 5k (19:18), and chose the "Very Hard" option. Today's run was a 4 mile threshold run at 6:42. I didn't know if I could do this since it's been so long since I had any speed work, and I KNOW I'm not in the kind of shape necessary to run another 19:18 5K. Regardless, I pushed forward and suprised myself. After a crappy 12 hour work day and even crapier food and hydration, I dragged myself out to Memorial Park and completed the threshold just below the target pace.

My shoe came untied one mile into the run, and I had to fight against the desire to quit. The shoe, the cramp, the fact that I'm out of shape and should be running slower and shorter, the long day at work, only seeing my wife for 10 minutes today . . . everthing was telling me to stop and go home. At the risk of scaring off any potential future runners, continuing to run even though you have a thousand reasons to quit is a constant challenge for elites as well as beginners (and me, somewhere between beginning and elite). But fighting through adversity builds character -- whatever form your adversity takes. This is one of the reasons why running makes me a better person.


splits:
6:28, 6:54, 6:44, 6:38