Notes
Pfitz called for 5 X 600 at 5K pace. When I got to the track I decided to try Yasso 800s on a whim. I figured after running 80 miles last week it wold be a fair assessment of something or the other since I sure am not fresh right now.
Intended to run them at 3:10 but after hitting the first 5 around 3:05-7 and realizing it wasn't that tough I picked it up a little finishing with the 10th in 2:46. Also, Yasso 800s call for an equal recovery time. I wasn't interested in hanging out an extra 30-45 seconds after I was already recovered so I just jogged a lap, took a sip of water and started again.
My average time for the 800s was 3:02. The average time for my recovery was in the 2:20s. This was far from the hardest work I put in on the track. So, in the end I ran them "13 seconds faster" than my goal marathon time and it wasn't exceptionally tough to do. It wouldn't be much to do them under 3 minutes each, or even lower if I used the recovery time allotted.
One of the highlights of the workout was running on a Mondo track. Way cool.
These added up to a "30:20" 8K or an "18:57" 5K (or quicker of you throw out the three slowest splits). What ever! At least this means I was running the intervals at my last known 5K pace and 10 X 800s is a better workout than 6 X 600, or so I think.
As a workout this feels to be much less an "assessment" than my long runs with long stretches at marathon pace or running a solid half marathon. Regardless, it's probably a good fitness indicator. I can't imagine doing these easily w/o lot's of miles in the bank.