Back to the track

This week I made it back to Varsity track for just the second time since coming back after injury. Last week, my first week back, we did some awful combination of 300's, 400's, and 800's in ninety degree weather. I was fumbling around, trying to get used to the track again, staring at that traitor Garmin telling me I was going terribly slow paces. I finished the workout, but bombed the paces.

This week I went back the Monday after my unlovely race Saturday night. In between, I had gone running Sunday morning before any race soreness hit, and I ended up doing ten miles after catching the train (actually, it was two trains going opposite directions, perfectly timed to prevent me from crossing the tracks for 20+ minutes. I ran back and forth for 3 miles!). The ten miles felt great, like a slow stretch for my race legs, but later in the day the fronts of my calves were sore thanks to the unexpected uphills Saturday. So I was a little worried about track.

Luckily, track was a little easier thanks to slightly overcast weather and a more reasonable workout. This week we did twenty 200's at mile pace or faster with 30 seconds rest. I was lucky enough to have Lauren, the girl who came in 2nd in Saturday's race, to run with me. I started the warm up feeling sore, but by the first 200 I felt much better. Actually, I started ticking them off too fast, running 38 and 39 seconds by the times we were at lap 12 or so. Lauren wanted to slow down, so we did some 40s and a few 41s, too. I was super conscious to let Lauren lead and not "race" her, because nothing is so obnoxious as losing to someone in a race and then running them down in a workout! That's a total jerk move to me, so I made sure Lauren was right with me or right ahead. I think she was a little tired out from Saturday, though, and probably felt as sore as I did.

I felt great after we finished. Granted, it was a short workout, but I felt pretty much full of pep after. I missed the track! And I think I missed it enough to do the free track races this Thursday. Yep, even though I will suck at it, I am totally going to show up with all the fasties and run 800m races. Ha! Get ready for some truly embarrassing recaps!