Back for Seconds

When a client suggests a workout for YOU to try, proceed with caution. Remember, you make THEM sweat!
Let me back track a little here. Last Friday I did my first interval work in a long time. I was very excited to say the least! I happen to have a client that used to be a track athlete and likes to talk to me about my running adventures. Naturally, when he asked me Saturday, how my workouts were, I shared with him my first Friday interval work. He proceeds to tell me what he did in his track days before even doing a drill like the one I did last week. I thought, really? My workout didn't seem that advanced. But what do I know? I never ran for a track team. He told me exactly what I should do for my next workout. He finished with a grin, "Many of us joined the golden bucket club after one of these workouts". Oh goodie, I thought to myself. But I do not like to back down from a challenge, so I stubbornly say that I will give it a go this week! That brings us to today. My second Friday of interval work. As I told my client last Saturday, I was going to do his suggested workout. I was psyched up and ready for it. It sounded tough! Was I right...

The workout: on a treadmill
Warm up: 1 mile at a 9:24 pace
Work: 400m sprint at a 6:40 mile pace/400m recovery/walk
**Do this as many times as I can (My client says the team did it 8x! He told me I may only get out 4x if I was lucky.)

I did 4x.

Keep in mind I am not a trained sprinter and this is a slow 400! When you do a workout like this, the first thing to really give out is your legs. In fact I was on my 4th recovery and I began to bring my pace back up from a walk to a run and thought "I can do one more 400!" My lungs weren't burning from the last set anymore. I did not feel ready to join any golden bucket club. I was thinking I might go for it! As my legs turned over each other, they became the voice of reason. If legs could talk, I believe what they said was "Hell No!" I wanted to continue the run as a cool down for at least a half a mile. My legs really didn't want to go anymore and so, after 400m at a cool down run pace, I hit the stop button. Getting off the treadmill to walk around and further cool down was like having an out of body experience. My legs were like jello, and seemed to be moving independently of my body. All I could think was "This was a good interval workout!" Next week I will at least do what I can to stay on the treadmill for a full 1/2 mile cool down run after 4x400m.

I must remember to properly thank my client for his 'workout suggestion'! I must also thank my legs for not letting me push anymore today than necessary. It was not my day to join the golden bucket club. Maybe another day and another post....