Too Much Speed (Work)

I have read all about taking days off to recover and setting up workouts so you don't do intense workouts back to back.  I have followed those rules for the most part because of what I read and had been told.

Last week I learned why...

I don't endorse the easy/hard schedule, but I do think putting an easy or moderate workout between intense speed training or long runs is a good idea (and that is what I usually do).  But this past week my schedule was crazy and two of my workouts were out of my control (Boot Camp).

The week's training really started with the end of last week.  I ran an intense race, The Bulldog Challenge, Saturday and took a rest day Sunday.  My legs were still wiped out from lugging sandbags around for two hours and climbing miles of stadium steps and garage ramps.  So I started the week with rubber legs.

Monday - Boot Camp
I decided to go to Boot Camp Monday night and found myself in the garage.  We ran sprints up the garage,  ran stairs and then ran some more garage sprints.  I was feeling a little competitive after the race so I was not holding back much.

Tuesday - Track
1x800 warm up
drills
4x400 (200 rec)
4x1000 (200 rec)
4x400 (200 rec)
1x800 cool down
All of this was done at sub 5k pace.  I ended up changing the end a little because I was losing my pace (rubber legs).

Wednesday - Tempo Run
What was I thinking?  I got an email Tuesday night from one of my running partners and agreed to run a five mile tempo run the next morning!  We started with a (not very slow) warm up mile and went straight into sub 8:00 pace miles.  I stayed with my running group for two more miles, but on the forth mile I slowed to 8:15,  I caught up with them for the cool down mile and was feeling every bit of the week coming down on me.  My legs were toast!

Thursday - Boot Camp
I figured Boot Camp would be like cross training at this point and would have very little speed work (especially after Monday's workout).  Oh, was I wrong!  We did the "Run - Abs - Run" workout.  Run 15 minutes on the track, 15 minutes of abs, and then 15 minutes on the track (the rest of the hour was back in the gym doing abs).  The running was not an easy jog, it was running the curves and sprinting the straights!  When I finished this workout I knew I was done for the week.

Luckily, Friday was a rest day.  I took the day completely off and did nothing.  Good thing, because my long run on Saturday was an eleven mile run at sub 8:30 pace with the Cooper River Bridge in the middle (ugh)...

I did not plan on doing this many intense workouts in a row, but sometimes you need to feel this stuff for yourself to really believe it.

I believe it!

I did get to try out my new "speed" shoes on Saturday.  My new Brooks ST5 Racers came in last week and I decided to break them in.  I wore them for the last five and half miles of my long run and they felt awesome!  They are completely different than any other shoe I own (especially the color).  They are super light, really roomy and really flat.  Plus, they have to be fast if they are that bright!

I still need more time before I give them a full review, but for now they are my new speed shoes.

Yes, that means I will not be wearing them every day...