We had track practice last night. Our workout is typically a hard one: 800 meter repeats. Basically, the goal is to run two laps, then rest for two minutes, then repeat as many times as time allows. But we’re not supposed to run as fast as we can each time. We’re supposed to try to control our effort so we run approximately the same time for each session. This is a little easier for me because my GPS watch tells me my pace, so I know how fast I should be running. But everyone always goes out too fast and I’m no exception. I started out at an 8:40 min/mile pace, which was a little too fast. We did five sessions and my last time put me at 10:00 min/mile. But it’s fun to see how much you can push your body.
Too bad it was also pretty warm and humid. That definitely hurt my recovery time. In between the first and second sessions, my heart rate would go from 170 down to 135 bpm. By the last session, it only got down to 145. I don’t think I could’ve done another session at a 10:00 min/mile pace in that climate. But you never know what the weather will be like at your event, so I am going to train all summer, no matter how hot it gets, and do the best I can.