Late Night Interval Training with a Mask On: 6 Sets by 1 K @ 4:10

April 30, 2020
Warm Up 3.5 K: 20:00.08
Rest: 1:00.33
<Intervals: 6 Sets by 1 K @ 4:10>
1st: 3:54.51
Rest: 1:00.29
2nd: 4:03:90
Rest: 1:00.01
3rd: 4:07.96
Rest: 1:00.38
4th: 4:08.64
Rest: 1:00.19
5th: 4:03.88
Rest: 1:00.11
6th: 4:01.13
Rest: 1:00.67
Warm Down 3.5 K: 21:48.39
Total 13 K: 1:13:10 

I did intervals today. It's very important training for me. Without this I cannot achieve my goal in tempo run. If I can't achieve my goal in tempo run, there is no way I can run a sub-3:15 marathon. It is a must-do.

I measured a new 600 M loop near my house and used it as a venue for the challenge. The road condition is fairly good. It's almost completely flat. Traffic is almost non-existent except for one of the three long stretches. It's very good for focused training.

After warming up for 20 minutes, I got right into the first K. The target is 4:10. I ran it under 4 minutes. I thought I should ease the pace a little, otherwise I could burn out quickly.

The 2nd K was over 4 minutes. But I was still 7 seconds under the target. 

In the 3rd K, I relaxed a little, feeling 4:10 was not all that difficult. But I was vigilant at the same time not to slacken the pace too much. I finished at 4:07. Good pace. I tried to stick to this pace, and finished the 4th K only a second out of the lap in the 3rd one.  

But the intensity of the run started taking a toll on my heart. The one-minute rest gradually started feeling not enough. But this was exactly the kind of discomfort that I had to deal with and that I eventually had to get accustomed to. So I pressed on.

Thanks to a little surge in the final stretch, the lap for the 5th K was the second best out of all five. The is the last. I was ready to give it all I'd got.

I did my best to stay relaxed as I ran along, but I could tell the legs were slowly buy surely becoming sore from building lactic acid. I shorten the strides and increased the cadence to reduce energy loss, but the effect was temporary. But when I turned the last corner into the last stretch, I changed the gear and surged toward the finish area. My chin was up though it shouldn't be, and I widened the strides to reach the finish as soon as I could. In the last 20 meters I wasn't even sure if I was breathing or not. But when I saw the time after finish, I suddenly felt  light because it's well under the target, and it meant I ran all 6 sets under my original target. 

I warmed down by jogging for about 20 minutes, with a big satisfied smile on my face. I couldn't believe I did it. But it's true. I did it. Now I cannot wait to see how this will translate into my improved performance in tempo run.