#blogjune Post 7 - I hate speedwork

Ok, I dislike speedwork.  Hate is too strong a word.  And I do feel good after a speed work session so I can't say I hate it.  Perhaps I hate it when I'm doing it but I don't hate it so much I won't do it.

This morning I was out at 5.30am in the dark with my friend I call Speedy Emily.  She has been one of my running companions for about a year.  Emily has been kind enough to do most of my training sessions with me even when she is not training for anything.  She joined me on my long long runs I did leading up to the Warwick Pentath-Run and she even did most of the speed work sessions with me.

Previously, I have done speed work when training for other races, but usually interspersed with a regular run.  I had never done a whole session of speed work on a track or distance repeats at effort.  This was until I got my coach through GaleForce Running.  Now pretty much every week I will have a speed session.

I'm not a fast runner.  I detest going out of my comfort zone.  But since incorporating speed sessions into my training, I have seen the results and I'm not "happy" to do them.

Today's session involved a 2km warm up, then 6 x 1km repeats (at effort - I like how Chris my coach never really specifies a pace, but I know he wants me to push it a bit) with a 3 minute walk break at the end of each rep, then a 2km warm down.

With only a headlamp to guide us, Emily and I set off.  The first rep you always (well I do) go out too fast.  You learn to respect just how far 1km is when you are going at an effort pace.  Not a sprint but an effort you should be able to maintain for a km.  This is the trick of these sessions.  To try to maintain the same pace over a particular distance each rep.  By the end of the session I felt myself slowing down, but surprisingly when I looked at my Garmin watch, we'd kept a pretty consistent pace throughout.

Without Emily, I'd probably give up and walk.  It helps to have someone else suffer with you!

Speed session done and it was light by then.  Home to have a shower and warm oats.  Yep I feel good for getting that done - Thursday it is a 10km hilly run!  Training for the Ipswich Park2Park is in full swing!