Back-to-Back

On Tuesday, it was about 5 degrees, with a strong wind, so it is probably a double-digit minus wind chill. I reluctantly go to the health club for my Tempo run. (Yesterday, I swam). I have a 1 mile warmup, and a 5 mile run at 7:30 per mile pace, with a 1 mile cooldown. As I often do, I shorten the warmup and cooldown – today a half mile each. I am armed with an I-pod shuffle, a bottle of water and a bottle of Gatorade. I take my usual treadmill, right under the ceiling fan. Bill is already there, but he has an earphones on, too, so we don’t talk too much. The treadmill works out okay – it keeps me at an honest pace, which was hard for me to do on my own outside last week.

Today, (Wednesday Feb 4, 2009)
In violation of the 3-plus-2 policy of my training program, I am going to do speedwork the day after my tempo run. At least I am going to run in the evening, so there is like a 36 hour rest period. Scott and Gil will be doing speedwork at the indoor high school track. I get there early. I run all of my 1 mile warmup, and I am just starting my intervals when Scott shows up. I do 2 1200m intervals at 4:55. By now, Scott has finished his warmup. I have 4 x 800 at 3:13. Scott’s entire workout will be 6x800 at the same pace. So, we run them together, and after we do 1, Gil and Jerry show up, so they do a quick warmup, and join us.
Everyone of our intervals is under pace. I take a good time to cooldown while they are finishing, and also make sure I stretch. I get dressed, and who do I see on the way out, but my wonderful wife on the way in to swim with the Masters swim club/triathlon club. By the time she gets home it will be bedtime, so this is definitely a ”2 ships passing in the night” moment.