Notes
Started calm and the wind seemed to pick up especially after about 16 laps. I purposely started the first 800 "pretty slow" so that I could get up the confidence. But I admit I was really huffing and puffing 800m into it! It seemed as if it smoothed out the next two laps, but then just got progressively harder. 8 laps in I was thinking about cutting it off at 5000m, because it was just way too hard. But the 200m really were coming in like a metronome - 43 seconds ea, sometimes gaining a sec, sometimes losing a sec after a few laps, and then dialing it up. At 8 laps, I decided to crank it up just a hair. But it did not really get faster. Splits were 17:57 / 17:41 for the 5000m, but the last half was NOT evenly paced and in control like the first. I was going to stop just about every turn around, but the pace was still pretty close, so I kept the hammer down. Almost went down to a jag about 6 laps out, because I was distinctly uncomfortable in every way. But as the last four laps came in, I did crank it up pretty well, and I think pulled in about 20 seconds deficit in the last two laps. I did kinda cruise in the last 100, because no one was there.
I will not be doing this kind of workout much, if ever again this year. Too hard, too taxing, and probably a lot better paced than a road race, because it is simple to use the track that way, for a tool. I think this may have taken more out of me, than it put back in. ... and yet the run home sure was light and floaty.