Notes
Weather: overcast and high 60s with about 88% humidity.
Workout: 4 miles warmup, 4x3 miles at sub-5:50 with 1k steady jog at 6:30 pace, 4 miles cooldown.
The conditions were much better than during the week. I ran the workout on the 7-mile loop around Flatwoods Park. The first 3-mile segment felt comfortably steady. I tried to get a feel of marathon effort and not worry about the pace. I consistently hit 5:46/:47 pace for the first 3 miles (17:21). The steady recovery at 6:30 pace felt fine. I actually had to step on the brakes a bit because I was closer to 6:20 pace. The 2nd segment (17:23) was much like the first as I ran 5:47 pace. At the start of the second loop and 2/3 through the second 1k recovery, I made a quick stop for some water because it started to get warm, even with the overcast.
I was still feeling pretty good halfway through the workout, so I picked up the pace just a tad on the 3rd segment. I ran 17:10 with splits at 5:45, 5:45, 5:40. On the recovery jog, I was still able to maintain a 6:30 pace, but it didn't feel as easy as the first two. The last segment was all about running strong. I split a 5:39 on the first mile of the last segment. It felt tough but not very tough, so I maintained the pace and split 5:41 for the 2nd mile. On the third and last mile, I played a little game so that the last mile wouldn't feel so long. I would pick up the pace slightly (5:35ish) for about 200 meters and then run around 5:40-5:45 pace for the next 200 meters. I'd do this for each 1/4 mile of the last mile. I ended with a 5:39 mile. I averaged 5:50 pace or the workout.
My legs still felt okay after the quality session of the workout. I ran easy on the 4 mile cooldown averaging sub-7:00 pace. The pace felt more like 7:15ish
I'm really glad I nailed this workout feeling strong, especially since I was feeling fatigue early in the week. The body is adapting at the right time.