Notes
Good workout down at Shelby Bottoms this morning. Perfect temperature and my new Nike flats were what I needed to get in the workout mindset. The plan was a 7-mile continuous tempo with the first two miles and last mile at half marathon (4:55 to 5:00) pace to simulate the start and end of a half marathon and the middle 4 miles at a fast tempo (5:05 to 5:10).
Executed the workout down to a T. Started out a little fast on the first 400m, but once I started running 74s - 75s the breathing calmed down. Kept going back and forth between feeling really strong and a little tired, but I was in control the whole time. The last mile was the biggest surprise of the workout. When I picked it up, I was expecting to be right at 74 to 75 for the first 400, but went through 400 in 70 and 800m in 2:21. Felt really strong at the end which gives me confidence for my starting point as I build up for the Houston Half Marathon in January. While running sub-5 pace didn't feel easy, it certainly wasn't a struggle, and I'm definitely starting to get the confidence that averaging 4:57 pace for a half is possible on the right day with the right competition.
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