View Workout (Joe Uhan)

Return to Log

K, K, mile, K solo (second half with CA "coaching")

October 22, 2017 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: high 50s, but SUPER-humid = warm

Comments:
Slept in again, but didn't spend too much time lolly-gagging. After some stretch and core warm-up, I got out for my warm-up: out the house, down to the ass-end of Amazon (11 pull-ups), then to the start. Drills, strides, then the workout: K, K, mile, K.

The last time I did this, in June, I dominated it. BEST workout of 2017 for sure:

3:11
3:20
5:23
3:11

That has been the benchmark - or the highwater mark - of workouts this year. That was in the week preceding my 4:45 mile at PDX Track Fest.

Like usual, I wanted to repeat this workout, with zero delusions of being that fast. That said...I wanted some good news.

I'm not sure why -- perhaps my confidence has been too delicate -- but I've taken to doing workouts without *looking* at the splits 'til afterward. I did this again. I simply don't get to get negative. I'd rather do the work, do "a good job", qualitatively, then see what that generated. It's a good strategy; that said, sometimes without a metric you don't push yourself as hard...but that's not a bad thing, either.

Ran the K's clockwise and the mile CCW. The path was a bit soft from rain, but the K loop was nice (the mile, some soft, fresh bark).

I felt strong. Form focus:

1. Forward HINGE
2. Back ARCH (including butt out, not locking up the right pelvis-overflexing)
3. Pawback
4. High heel recovery ("Salazar")

I did REALLY well with those, and when CA showed up mid second K to watch the rest of the workout, she agreed. In retrospect I *might've* been under knee-driving...but what can you do?

The legs felt good, the stride, great (the posture, at times, challenging). The breathing...was tough. HUUUMID. Started with no jacket, and after 2Ks I ditched the shirt, entirely.

I felt like I was running hard, but it was more out of breathing than anything. I recovered quickly on the jog rests.

The mile felt good. I ran CCW and, about a third of the way through, rolled up on this middle school kid, who cranked it up to a good 6:00 at least! Took me a while to roll past him, and I gave him a thumb's up.

The mile burned pretty good in the last 400m, but otherwise felt strong.

I reconvened with CA for some recovery then, the final K. It felt strong. Just solid. Nothing spectacular.

Once I finished, I checked my splits. Lackluster. The k's were...OK, but the mile sucked! Shit, 5:45?? WTF. Ugh. Really bummed.

I complained a bit with CA on the cool-down, but she did her best to whip me into a better state of mind (or at least chastise me for being negative). Ran some cool down...then to the gym for a lift!

It wasn't til I got home and check the splits did I figure out I'd actually run:

3:25
3:23
5:25!
3:19

For the Ks...they were lackluster. BUT, compared to June, I was solo, and they were completely untimed, and on soft ground.

The mile was solid. Felt GOOD for that speed!

The last K: I had realized I might've been under-knee-driving. So that could've made the difference.

SOLID workout.