Circus Act

TUESDAY
8:30 AM - BSC - Bike, 30:00.
8 x 1:00 @ 80% effort w/1:00 recovery.

6:45 PM - RLTAC - 11 miles.
Track Workout: 2 x 800/mile/2 x 800 @ 2:24-25/4:55/2:24-25.
2:30 recovery after the 800's, 3:30 after the mile.
22:00 warmup, 32:00 cooldown.
2:23.63 (2:34.85 recovery), 2:23.68 (2:31.82), 4:53.11 (3:28), 2:24.79 (2:28.00), 2:23.59.

WEDNESDAY
8:00 AM - BSC - Bike, 1:00:00.
2 x 2:30/1 x 5:00/2 x 2:30, all @ 90% effort.
2:30 recovery after 2:30, 3:30 after 5:00.

It wasn't quite as quiet at Reggie last night as it was last week, with bobbing and weaving in and out of Lanes 3 and 4 seemingly as necessary a maneuver as hitting the split button on your watch. I'll keep my bitching and moaning to a minimum, but that place is a circus after 7 PM on a weeknight. It wouldn't be so bad if etiquette wasn't an issue, but apparently people have trouble running single-file, in a straight line, in unison or sometimes even in the right direction. It blows my mind. This guy's, too, apparently. And don't even get this guy started.

As for the workout itself, it was my best one since I resumed running again 11 weeks ago. Scott Munro and I formed our own little dynamic duo behind the two-steppin' tandem of Ragin' Ryan and his Canadian counterpart. I wore flats for the first time in forever and my legs are no worse for the wear as I type this today. I felt easy at 4:50-55 pace, which was encouraging, and has me toying with the idea of fighting it out over 5,000 meters at end of February.

This morning I put a new spin on my standard 60-minute, post-workout recovery ride, simulating last night's effort without the tight turns of the track or the hassle of having to hate on clueless clowns taking up too much space in Lanes 1 & 2. I got this idea of adding in some extra aerobic work without the impact from Jason Jabaut (via Mark Driscoll), who would simulate his mid-week running workout with a similar session the following day in the pool. I don't know if, or how long, I'll continue to keep this practice as part of my regular routine, but it was at least worth a shot at this stage of the game. I figure that since I won't go hard again until Saturday, I've got two full days to get a workout and a half out of my legs. (Hopefully) it shouldn't be a problem.