Hot and Cold

I've been in a nice routine of taking Monday completely off, and never felt like my body was responding to the rest until today. After work today I headed over to the high school for the usual Tuesday Cal Coast workout, probably the last hard one before Carlsbad. Today's workout was 1600, 5 x 800. I felt absolutely awesome warming up, and even better doing strides before the workout started. Cush was late and not warmed up for the mile so it was mostly a solo effort (I did have some company behind for the first 800 meters). I started clicking off 69's like they were nothing. I am finally seeing the upper body strength and aerobic work from the last three weeks show itself as I could finally use my arms to cruise to a 4:37. It was by far the easiest 4:37 I have run in years, and I wasn't even breathing hard after. I jogged about 300 meters and prepped for the 800s.

As soon as we took off on the first 800, any energy my legs had completely disappeared. Aerobically I was feeling fine, but it felt like someone took a baseball bat to my hamstrings and beat them like a pinata. I rolled through the first two intervals in 2:21 and 2:20, not strenuous by any means, but lacking the drive I felt on the mile, and I was definitely straining with each stride. I took a full 3 minute recover after each, but wasn't getting any life back in the legs. I muscled through another 2:20 on the 3rd 800, running the last turn and straightaway on pure strength, driving completely from my quads and arms, as my hamstrings felt like jello. I had already decided that the 4th 800 would be my last regardless, but after 100 meters my hamstrings felt like they were about to snap so I stepped off the track, threw on my warm-up pants, and took off on a 3 mile warm-down.

Eight miles on the day, some good things, some bad. After Carlsbad or Alcatraz I'll have to get back in the gym and do some squats so my hamstrings can handle the higher mileage. I also need to work on my flexibility. I have been icing on and off the whole night so hopefully the jog tomorrow morning isn't too bad.