Day 4 of the training program was yesterday and I am now fairly sure that it was created by a sadist. Or maybe in the first week they are trying to weed out the people who aren’t ready for it, like Physical Chemistry in college. The day read “3 miles PI, 2x800 CI (200) + 4 x 100 S” Or 3 miles at 6-15-6:20 pace, then 2 x 800 at 5:57 pace followed by 4 strides of about 20 seconds. Progressively shorter and faster intervals.

It wasn’t extremely hot last night but it was soupy out there. I think the humidity kicks up a few more notches in the park along the creek. After a quick mile warmup into the park I started the 3 miles. That went by in 18:52, exactly where I wanted to be but I had to work hard to get there, harder then I would have liked. To keep that pace up for another 10 miles seems impossible right now but that is why I am training. Also, I was running on tired legs and as my mother likes to say, I was sweating like a stevedore. Not conditions for an optimal workout.

I next knocked off the 2x800 in 2:45 (way to fast) and 3:00 which I ran on an unmarked 800 meters so I just ran to three minutes and stopped. I was ready to call it a day and forget about the 4x100 strides but I find it harder to ditch a workout when you’ve promised to follow the training program. Dashing for 20 seconds didn’t feel so bad until I stopped. I was spent and was eager to get to the hill heading out of the park because it meant I was done.