Back to the Track

It's been ages since I've done intervals. In fact, looking back at my training log in SportTracks, the last time I hit the track was December 9th! Since then I've been fighting injuries (hip abductor/groin strain, a root canal caused by my bike accident several months ago, and my bout with spondylolesthesis), a nasty cold, and travel commitments. So it was with some trepidation that I laced up my shoes and made my way toward the oval. On the schedule was an 8 X 400 VO2Max workout. I usually do a 2 mile warm up, will do a 400 rest lap in between each interval, and do a 1 mile warm down. That would mean a total of 7 miles for this workout. I rev'ed up the iPod and started running round and round and round and....

The track at the local High School can be quite busy. Yesterday was a prime example. Bill Sumner, the Cross Country and Track coach at the High School, uses of the track for his Youth Track Club and for us Cal Coast runners. His Juniors were out when I started, and the older folks showed up by the time I was done. Add the local public, and it can be like rush hour on the track. I'm glad I had my Garmin, because I just stuck to the outside lanes and put in the miles. At least I didn't need to count laps and try to figure out how much over 400 meters I was running on each lap.

Oh - about the workout - I was surprised when I was done. I managed a little over a 10:00 pace (including all the warm ups, warm downs, rest laps, and bathroom break). Which isn't too bad considering how long it's been since I last did any VO2Max workouts. Speaking of VO2Max, I managed to spend about 8 minutes of yesterday's workout above 90% MHR, so I was able to spend a little time in VO2Max zone. Now I need to buckle down and get myself to the point where I am spending more time in the VO2Max zone on these workouts. Once I can get 12 to 15 minutes in VO2Max, I will start counting these as quality workouts. Until then, I'll chalk them up as getting back in shape!