Today, Saturday, I didn't risk Nelson running track being similarly "out of bounds" to runners, heading east to use the LEEDS MET UNIV CARNEGIE track instead. I timed the visit so as not to clash with two known training groups and thought I would have the track to myself but was pleased to see IAN LEGGE of WETHERBY RUNNERS appear with a dozen or more young boys and girls and expertly put them through their paces. It was interesting to see how after a joint warm up they split into groups all ably orchestrated by the head coach.
Conditions as usual up there were less than favourable. We all battled against a strong westerly on a cool autumn morning; but of course it would only get worse, won't it? At least it was dry.
Again according to "the book" we should be doing race pace in a speed session for 10% of our weekly mileage. As I'm doing average 40 miles per week with just one speed session my total track session had to involve 4 miles of effort; so I opted today for the classic 4 x 1 mile REP session; the INTERVAL (that's the easy bit between the hard bit) recovery being 3 minutes.
I'm being a tad pedantic, because I was asked was I "DOING INTERVALS?" I just replied ,"mile reps"
Call me pedantic, but I still feel the need to correct runners who say they have been "DOING INTERVALS".
If you go a football match, the bit in the middle when the players go off and the action stops is the HALF TIME INTERVAL. When we go to the theatre for say a 3 act play the two INTERVALS are the bits when the actors leave the stage and we go for a drink in the bar. The interval is the time when there's NO ACTION.
So why do runners say they have been to the track to "DO INTERVALS"!!
If the interval is the recovery between efforts, "doing intervals" is a pretty easy session, isn't it? .
It just another of those phrases "the book" uses which seem to defy commonsense but we somehow tolerate.
But what do I know.....??? In conclusion I would say YES .... DO AN INTERVAL SESSION..........BUT DON'T SAY "I'VE BEEN DOING INTERVALS"........just to make an old man happy.
Anyway, I digress! "The book" would suggest given recent 10K times (43/44) I should be able to knock out 4 miles efforts around the 7.00 mark (43.30). But as I repeatedly seem to write the FURTHER I go the FASTER I get!
I toil around the first two reps battlling against the wind in 7.27 and 7.22. But on the last 3rd rep I passed by Ian's runners doing a 600 and trying to hold on to them I end up with 6.59! and conclude again solo with 7.02.
So that was today. A good solid track session on a distinctly cooler, windy day but at least dry at the end of week which began with a month's rain in just 24 hours and brought misery to many places in North Yorks and the North east particularly.
Back to rain for tomorrow, I suspect.
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