Up and Down

The title of this post could mean just about anything, right?  My moods (mood?) for starters. 

That's probably a post for another time. Maybe. 

Last evenings run with the training group was just fraught with issues. They send out an email a day before to tell us of our distance and route. Normally, I read them religiously, but I didn't even look timely. I knew it wouldn't be more than 6 miles, and I can do that. (Whoever thought I could say that ever?)

But around 16:30 (run begins at 18:00) my curiosity got the better of me and I looked. I didn't see the distance because for the first time it seems we were not running from our normal place, but much farther out in the 'burbs. 

Crap. 

I had to rush to get ready and leave earlier to get there, as it was rush hour. It's just as well I didn't look at the evening activity. I assumed, where we were going to be was going to be hill work, as it is a park with mostly one hill..........that goes up for almost two miles. So, on the drive I was mentally preparing for that. For me, hills are more mental than physical, but just by a bit. 

On the drive, I realized I left my watch at home, which means, IF I wanted to track my miles and progress, I'd hve to run with my phone, which I hate. And it was75°, which means it would feel like it was 85° .

When I got there, I learned we'd be running a mile warm-up and then do hill sprints, eight times, and then a cool down casual run. 

Well, double crap. 

With my knee, I've been semi-avoiding hill sessions. I still run with the group, but do more distance while they tackled the hills. And while my knee is not as bad, I was contemplating not doing hill work. But due to change in venue, many fewer people showed up, so it would be obvious I was skipping. So against my own judgement, I did hills. 

I'm kind of glad I did - for a number of reasons. 

1. I needed the work. I needed the experience. Elevation is a part of a lot of races. Ignoring it won't make it go away. The speed work was ok too. 

2. It let me know my knee wasn't too fucked up. Yeah, but #8, I was feeling it a little, but not like I had thought it would be. 

3. It was a bonding moment. With a much smaller group - and most of them the A-list runners - it was more of a personal commiseration with a group who is less familiar with me. 

The drill was: 45 second sprint up hill; 2 minute recovery, which included getting downhill and prepping for the next 45 seconds. Eight times. 

In theory 45 seconds x 8 doesn't seem so bad. It was work, for sure - a lot of it - but it didn't kill me or even come close. 

My phone app shows the ups (sprints) and downs (recovery).

The timing thing shows weird. 13:09 average pace also includes the waiting recovery period, as I don't pause between intervals. And obviously, while I didn't sustain it, at a time I was on pace for a 4:31 mile. Uphill. With a bad knee. 

I'm taking this as a win. 

Makes me a bit more confident for a 20 mile run on Saturday. 

Song by: the Cars