Tempo runs suck!!! There. I said it. You’ve helped me celebrate victories and overcome obstacles. Tonight was certainly the latter. However, there is nothing I could or would have done differently.
On tap tonight was, of course, a tempo run. Specifically, the workout called for 2x5k’s. The first on less than forgivable terrain … starting at the Daniel Webster Statute in Central Park, up the West Side Drive, up and around Harlem Hill and back thru the 102nd St. transverse (lots of rolling hills). That was the 1st 5k. After a recovery jog back down the West Side Drive to the 86th St. entrance to the Reservoir Path for 2 loops for the 2nd 5k. In a pre-run pep talk, Coach said the word “challenging” no less than 5 times. The man was preaching the gospel truth. How did it go?
| Distance | Pace | |
| Warm Up | 1.3 Mi | 10:47 |
| 1st 5K | 3.1 Mi | 7:26 |
| Recovery | 0.8 Mi | 12:30 |
| 2nd 5K | 3.14 Mi | 7:49 |
| Cool Down | 0.9 Mi | 9:03 |
I completely blew up on the 2nd 5K. Actually, I started to blow up at the end of the 1st 5K. I was determined to stay with the group and did so for the 2.5 miles of the 1st 5K. The group didn’t accelerate, but I just faded. I still managed a semi-respectable pace … but according to Coach that pace should have been a half marathon pace. For me, that would have been 8:17 based on a couple of weeks ago. If I went out at a 8:17 pace, I would still be running right now. The “slow” group went out at a 7:20 and my pack of 3 settled into a 7:26. I wanted to test myself and really keep up. I succeeded in the former and did okay with the latter. After the recovery, the 2nd 5K was a mirror image of the first, where I stayed strong (and with the pack) until the 2-mile mark this time. At this point, I had nothing left in reserve (without sprinting) and let the pack go … hence the 7:49. It sucked being alone in the dark … they were probably 100m ahead, but I kept it together. I definitely improved compared to my first tempo of 2×2 with CPTC a couple weeks ago. Total mileage tonight of 9.24 miles.
In the final analysis, it was easily the most “challenging” workout I’ve ever experienced. I’m disappointed in my pace for the 2nd 5K. I don’t have a benchmark of what it “should” have been … my existing 5K PR (March 2009) of 7:41 pace is irrelevant now. Right now, I’m in the midst of recalibrating. Therefore, forgive my whining as I go thru the ups and downs. Again, the only bad run is the one you don’t have … this was just a necessary workout on the way to getting better.
Tempo runs really, really suck.