1 x 2 miles followed by 4 x 1 mile

Let me start off by saying; I am glad that my taper period has finally arrived. As much as I like training and training hard, I like getting a chance to see what I can do.

I did not realize until this past week when I looked at my log, I had been running 80+ miles since May. Granted, I was not specifically focus on marathon type of workouts. However, I was pushed a lot of miles through my legs and much of it being up tempo.

I guess there is little wonder why my legs have felt pretty dead.

But I digress. I am here to talk about my Tuesday evening workout. Yes, I waited to run until Tuesday evening. Evening runs are a rarity for me. I like being up, out, and getting it over while most of the world still awaits the sounding of their alarm clocks.

The weather was fantastic for running. Actually, I felt a little cold during the workout which only added to make it better.

I started off with a mile warm up and then launched into the 2 mile interval. The split was decent and definitely faster than usual. After a mile recovery, I was off on the first of 4 by 1 mile repeats each with a ½ mile recovery. To be honest, the last 1 mile interval turned into a 1.5 mile interval just so I can see what would happen.

Although, I was not hitting career marks, I was pleased. My legs still do not have the “pop” that I am wanting, but my average heart rate is lower so I think it will return over the next three weeks.

I finished with about 15 minutes of walking.

Here’s a little tip of running wisdom. Stopping right after running hard is never a good thing. The body needs the opportunity to slowly return to normal. Our bodies are not like cars. They don’t go from 0 to 60 in 2 seconds and they should not be stopped from 60 to 0 after a hard run. My mind always thanks me for it because a few hours later, I am moving around pretty good and I have avoided the onset of muscle stiffness which happen by just stopping.

 

Best of luck with your running,

Sharing one thought at time,

The Cool Down Runner