Notes
Temp 50 Wind 7 mph.
Four miles @ McMillan 15K-HM Pace (6:45-6:55). Skipping the track today and doing everything on the streets. Random loops through The Orchards and Williams Addition. Constant elevation changes, so no long flats to regroup on stride or recover. Will require total focus. Early week volume has resulted in some accumulated minor soreness and fatigue. Goal may be on the ambitous side.
Check Garmin at mile one and I'm at 6:46. Spot on. Will run on feel and not look again until after third mile. Mile two will have the most climbs. Come out of that fine (split was 6:48), but immediately head into longest climb on route. Deal with that OK, but took its toll. Early into last half of third mile and its all starting to hit me. Tempo Run turns into Time Trial Effort and I'm hanging on after three miles. (3rd mile split 7:04.) Attempt to get to downhill in Williams Addition to start final push in last half mile. Turn on wrong street in the dark and immediately start another climb. Every stride at this point is another nail in LT coffin...why do we do this??...sicko, sicko, sicko. Enter The Orchards to finish and make it less than half way down decline before final alert goes off. (4th mile split 7:02.) Final time 27:43. Fraction slower than slow-end goal.
Be smart about recovery, and should still get good benefit from workout. Another brick and a reminder to stay after it in prep for 15K.