Track?

When I set out to run last night I was expecting to do an 7-10 mile loop out through Roxborough. The route takes me past Roxborough High Track and I usually just run on by but last night I decided to stop. I keep thinking about adding speed to my routine and last night I thought now was as good a time as ever. My legs felt fresh, I was feeliing quick that evenning and the track wasn't covered in walkers.

I really am a total foriegner to the track. I have read a few articles on it and also listen to others talk about it but I wasn't sure exactly what to do. So I picked a spot on the track as my start/finish line coming out of the last turn, I ran two warm up lap at about 2:00 minutes apiece and then took off for an 800. I just hit a pace which felt good and I figured I could keep up for 2 laps. First lap was about 85 seconds and the 800 was 2:50. Okay 2:50, so what does that mean? Fast, slow, or right where I want to be? It felt good, I could have kept going, I wasn't all out but I think that is the intervals are supposed to feel. It was about a half mile so the pace was pretty good. I have also heard people talk about this Yasso 800 thing and I know you relate your 800 pace in minutes to a marathon pace in hours so I figured it must be a good pace.

I ran a slow lap in 2:20 and then ran another 800 in 2:55. A little slower the the last and I really felt like I lost the speed on final half lap. I again ran a 2:20 cool down and then hit another 2:50. By this point I was feeling each lap a bit more but still alright. I decided to run one more 800 and then call it quits, for my first workout I didn't really want to push it, best to ease into this stuff I think. My third 800 was again in 2:50 so I was at least hitting them consitently. Two more cool down laps and I headed home for a total of 7.6 miles in 55 minutes.

Is this the pace I want to be running these things at?