6*1000, 1200

With two pain free easy runs on Sunday and Monday, yesterdays track workout would be the true test of whether I was officially on the mend.

Of course mother nature didn't want to play nice and warm things up ensuring looser hamstrings, but we made do. Wore tights to try and help keep things warm despite the cooler temps, wind, and a light drizzle. Did a thorough warm up with some light dynamic stretches before throwing in a few strides to see how everything felt. No pain so it was time for a workout.

Goal was 6*1000 at 3:32.5 (85 quarters) with 2 minute rests. Then we'd follow up the workout with something else depending on how the set went. I think coach wanted to do 200s, but I was nervous about pushing the speed and expressed that.

I let my training partner take the inside lane and be the pacer as I was unsure how I would feel having done no workouts in over a week. First one felt rough and we were a hair fast. Things seemed to loosen up a bit for the next 3 sets and we kept it even or better. The 5th and 6th repeats were definitely work and my training partner decided to pick up the pace but I held steady. The last 200 meters of the last 1000 I could feel my left hamstring start to get a little tight with the effort.

3:45 rest and we followed the set up with a 1200. My training partner blazed through this, but I decided to exercise caution targeting 86 for each quarter, came up a bit short running 87s but felt steady and no pain. Unfortunately had to leap over an incoming lacrosse ball the first lap, which during the cool down appeared to have tightened up the right hamstring too.

Training on the track while lacrosse players errant balls come flying at you definitely adds a new element to the workout. Thinking next week I should wear a helmet and pads.

I was really pleased with the workout, it was a solid effort and it felt good to mentally push through again after a week off the track. Had a feeling this wasn't my best set of 1000s though and looking at the logs I was right. 1000s must be our overachiever workout as last summer we did a set of 6*1000 with 2:20 rest, goal 3:35 and we ran them all under 3:32 with the last two at 3:26 and 3:21. Given how I felt yesterday it makes me wonder how on earth I did some of those workouts last summer! I feel so much stronger now. But I guess strength doesn't always equal speedy track legs.

Splits:

3:30.07
3:31.08
3:29.62
3:28.57
3:29.02
3:28.60
4:20.57

Followed the workout up with an ice bath and then a swim this morning and hamstrings are feeling looser. Knee has no pain! Heading in to see Tim Keyes today for some Active Release Therapy and hoping he can help get my hamstrings ready for tomorrows tempo!