Hill Intervals: 2 Sets by 1 K @ 4:05

Oct. 31, 2019
Warm Up 3 K: 17:41.21
Rest: 1:00.07
<Intervals: Target 4:05/K>
1st K: 3:50.64
Rest: 1:00.11
2nd K: 3:46.25
Rest: 1:00.26
Warm Down 3 K + Park Workout : 22:47.62
Total 8 K: 51:06.16

I did hill interval training this morning.
I don't usually do it in the morning. I'm nocturnal.
I tend to feel more focused at night.
Plus, traffic is less at night than in the morning.
So it's safter to run at night as well.
But last night I had a slight headache
probably from chronic shortage of sleep.
So I decided to take a short nap,
hoping that I'd be strong enough to run
after an hour of lying in bed.

When I opened my eyes again, it was 7 hours later,
and I still felt sleepy. So I slept two more hours
and got up at 10:00 am. I slept 9 and a half hours.
Though I missed my midnight training,
I felt reasonably recovered, ready to hit the road.

I changed into my running gear and headed for the hilly shuttle course
where I was planning to run last night.

My body felt heavy, and I was worried that I might not meet the challenge.
The challenge is running 1 K @ 4:05, and repeat it 5 more times with a minute's rest.

I calibrated the alignment of my joints as I ran along, trying to find the most efficient form that generated maximum power with minimum effort. I reached the venue before I was satisfied. But there was no waiting.

After taking a short break, I lifted off for the first set, hammering down the road like a thunder. I knew I was going a lot faster than my usual training pace. This time the goal is different. I usually train for full marathon. This morning I trained for 10 K. I must build greater lactic acid tolerance. To raise the threshold I must run faster, and sustain the effort at  least for 41 minutes.

The first half of the course is downhill. Iliacus muscles aren't that required. But quads are tremendously activated. I could feel them cry as I banged down the hill.

Then the second half is uphill. It's steep and long. This time iliacus muscles are  tremendously activated. I must raise my knees nice and quick and turn each kick into forward momentum. My strides got shorter to improve running economy. But if I do it too much, I sacrifice speed. I ran through a fine line between maintaining speed and optimizing running economy.

The first lap was 3:50.64. Well under the target. But I was out of breath, already on the verge of getting burned out.

I rested for a minute. While resting, I wondered whether I should go for another set or not. The first set was so fast. I felt like I'd had enough for the day. But I decided to give it another try, no matter how pathetic the set might become.

As I set off for the second run, I immediately knew that it wouldn't be a good set. My legs were heavy, and breathing was difficult. But I pressed on nonetheless.

The second set, which is going the route of the first set in the reverse direction, begins with a steep downhill. It sounds easy, but puts a tremendous amount of stress on the quads.

Once you hit the bottom of the downhill, a short flat stretch continues. This is where I readjust the alignment of my body, trying to find the best form to attack the forthcoming uphill. Then when I reach the bottom of the uphill, I change my gear, take a little shorter strides and quicker steps, and use my arm swing more to create a driving force up the hill.

The lap was 3:46.25. To my surprise the time was better than the first. I was satisfied. But there wasn't a drop of gas left in my tank. I feebly walked to and fro to calm down my breath. A minute later I weakly headed back home.

On the way back I stopped by a small park to get some water and do some bicep workout. Later on when I passed yet another park, much larger, I did hand-clap push-ups just because I was in a mood for it.

When I got home, took a warm quick shower, and had a healthy breakfast consisting of grilled fish, boiled pork guts, boiled veggies, yogurt, and fresh fruits, I felt like a new man who was so full of energy that he could do anything.