Intervals
I was able to convince, cajole, and otherwise, persuade Maria and Tony to join me at the Cal State San Marcos track this morning. Tony kicked a soccer ball around the little field in the middle of the track, while Maria walked in her new running shoes.
My goal: to run 5 x 400 meter intervals, which is approximately 2.5 miles overall. 5 laps of sprints with walking in between laps, a total of 10 laps. That’s 1 sprint followed by 1 walk, for a total of 5 sets.
My times are here, not that bad for a total novice like me. At least I think they’re okay. For the most part on the 1 lap sprints, I was running them at a sub-six minute pace. That’s pretty fast for a 42-year old, no? The real question is: Can I sustain a similar pace for 3.1 miles (equal to a little less than 13 laps around the track) on November 9th for the Shelter Island 5K?
I don’t know all the physiology behind why interval training is supposed to help me run faster. I sure hope it works because I really hate it. Perhaps by the time I reach 10 x 400 intervals, I will be better at it, and not be so winded.
