If I learned anything about myself during the Madison to Chicago Ragnar Relay it was that my legs don't mind pumping out some fast miles when they're tired. Already did a fast, hard run less than 24 hours ago? That's okay. You can do another one.
So on Thursday I did. What was supposed to be a lunch time recovery run turned into another tempo run. I didn't do it on purpose! It's just that I was running with guys from work and they tend to be faster than me. Although, I think I was pulling one of them along at the end while our fastest guy forged on ahead.
It was a great day for running. I wore capris and a short sleeved top and was actually too warm. I totally could have gone for shorts and a tank top. It may have been in the mid 50s but the sun was out. And, yes, there was a breeze. More like a wind. At first I thought the fact that the wind was at our backs for the first 2.5 miles was responsible for my speed but I managed to crank out comparable miles on the way back even with the wind right in my face.
My knees were a little achy but everything else seemed fine. I was pushing myself but my legs didn't feel like they were burning and I didn't feel like I was gasping for air. Strange considering I just did speedwork the night before, right? You'd think my legs would be tired. Apparently that was just a warm up for them.
In the end, we did 4.9 miles at an 8:30 pace (with a few pauses for traffic and water). If I could recreate how I felt on Thursday at the 10Ks I'm doing after Milwaukee I will have a new 10K PR in the bag. Maybe I just need to do some speedwork the day before?
Lunch Run South by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details
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