Lucky Day

Today called for a return to the track. I haven't run around in 400 meter ovals in what seems like a few weeks. Today I was worried about the logistics. I had the PAC Track Club luncheon this afternoon, which more or less overlapped with the time that the Franklin Field track was officially open to the public. The other tracks that I know of around here would more likely than not be covered with snow.

This disruption led me to dread this workout. In the larger context, it fit in well with this week, in which the cold prevented the snow on the ground from going anywhere. Snow in the city is nice for the first day, and after that it gets brown, black and yellow, and takes up lots of space so that the cramped quarters of urban life become even more so. This is especially true with running, where to the extent you run the streets you are forced either on sidewalks that as often as not are unshoveled, or on the streets which, due to the snow, you are thrust into the traffic. So running on a week like this requires alot of adapting and rearranging and, as a last resort, hitting the treadmill. After a few days this gets tiresome mentally, as I long to just have my regular routine back.

Anyway, back to todays workout. The workout as GP laid it out was simple:

1 x 3000 - 1^st 1k @ 3.40- 2^nd 1000 @ 3.20 – 3^rd 1000 sub 3.08.

The question was would I have access to a track to do it. I planned I would go down to Franklin Field in the morning and if the track were unavailable then I'd keep going down to MLK and run 3x3/4 miles at 6, 5:20, and 5 minute pace. Again, I had a hard time with the uncertainty of where I would run this workout. I think this was the culmination of an uncertain running week.

But the track was open, but most likely unofficially so as none of the usual monitors were there. As I did my warmup striders people started coming into the stands and then Penn's and Haverford's lacrosse teams came streaming in. I began to get nervous about whether I'd get my 3000 in. When I was on my 8th and final lap of strides a guy points to me and says fifteen minutes. I smile. I should be able to get 3k in that time.

The 3000 itself was a familiar story. First 1k in 3:40 meant 6 minute pace. No matter how I tried I couldn't bring myself to slow down enough - actual time 3:27.8. At least I didn't have to speed up that much to hit the next target. Second 1k in 3:20 meant 5:20 pace. Hit it in 3:20.5 but was starting to hurt. Last 1k in sub 3:08 basically meant run as fast as I can - shooting for sub 5 minute pace. And indeed I ran as fast as I could, though I held a bit back as 1000 meters, 2 1/2 laps, is a long way to go all out. The first 400 went in 76 seconds, about 1 second too slow and I apparently held this pace as my final time was 3:10.9. I was debating whether I actually gave my all although I was pretty well wiped out by the end.

I'm always disappointed when I don't hit my goal times, but I wasn't too bummed about it today. I felt I was getting closer to handling goal pace. I don't know if the 3:08 was a reach time or a time GP expected me to hit. I'm guessing, somewhat zenlike, that it was a bit of both.

I was also happy just to get the workout in as planned. I realize that I am lucky to have a track that, while oversalted to the point of being crunchy today, was very usable in this weather. Furthermore, I have at my disposal a marked outdoor course that is promptly cleared of snow (i.e., the Drives and props to the Fairmount Park Commission for maintaining the bike paths). And as a dreary but valuable backup I can use a treadmill as a perq of working at USP. This all works to minimize the losses I need to take during the few periods of shitty weather that inevitably hit in the winter.

Today I also realize that I'm also just lucky that this workout happened. Today I'll take that.

8 miles total in 62:51.