HOT INTERVAL ACTION

So in my effort to get serious about marathon training I went out and hit an interval workout last night. Despite it being 88 degrees and muggy when I started at 6pm I went ahead and did it anyway. Doing intervals in the hot, direct sun on a black track isn't the greatest idea ever, but when I commit to something I like to follow through.

For the first time ever I did something other than 400s. Shocking, I know. I think I've only done intervals on the track maybe three times before and each time it was of the 400m variety. Well, for marathon training typically you do longer intervals, but I couldn't stomach just a slew of 800s or whatever, so I decided to mix things up and do a "pyramid." Start off with 2 400s, then 2 800s, then a 1600, then back down the ladder with 2 800s and 2 400s.

All in all it went really well. Intervals suck. The scenery sucks, the sun was fucking stupid, and I didn't really want to be there. However, once it was all over I felt great and I was glad I did them. For the most part they went off without incident, I did pull back a little due to the heat and the mileage I would be accumulating at seven miles. If you are just doing six 400s or whatever you can really bomb them, but I didn't go full out knowing I had a lot of work to do.

If I had a heart rate monitor, I really think it
would have said more calories. It was HARD.

I did have to take a break after my first 800 on the way back down the pyramid. After completing the first lap of that interval I felt like I was going to pass out. I thought about stopping mid-interval but forced myself to complete it. I found some shade under a tree and sat down. I was pretty light headed and I think about halfway to heat exhaustion. So after cooling down there for five minutes I completed the rest of my workout. It was a good decision.

My times were:

400m: 1:38.07 (6:33/mi)
400m: 1:34.21 (6:17/mi)
800m: 3:22.66 (6:45/mi)
800m: 3:23.75 (6:48/mi)
1600m: 7:24.36 (7:27/mi)
800m: 3:31.97 (7:08/mi)
800m: 3:28.53 (6:57/mi)
400m: 1:41.50 (6:46/mi)
400m: 1:42.77 (6:52/mi)

So, as you can see, I slowed down some, but not too bad. It was a pretty good workout for seven miles 88 degrees!