Why I love speed work

Speed work is hard but it's one of those things where you can see instant results.  I recently heard on The Mother Runner podcast  (http://anothermotherrunner.com/category/amr-radio-show/  btw, you can download for free via itunes) a great idea: that you can't expect to run faster if you don't train faster.  It's like wanting to lose the last 10 lbs without doing anything different to your diet.  Nothing's going to change if you don't do the work.

There have been times when I've gone for a run and I felt like I was running really fast but then I checked my watch at the end and my average speed was the same as always.  I hate that.  I go on emotional instant roller coaster of being really happy to really disappointed/confused.

Speed work changes all that in only half an hour once a week.

My comfort pace is around 5.40/km.  Today my BRF (best running friend) and I ran laps around the local park.  Our comfort pace was around 5.40 and the speed laps were between 4.10 and 4.20.  Fast enough that we couldn't talk but not so fast that we wanted to throw up (almost but not quite).  We ran home at 5.40 and it felt so slow!

Btw... I did not take Baci this time and I DID make it all around the track without stopping (see May 14th post). So... either I am faster and stronger than I was a few weeks ago OR Baci made it too difficult to concentrate on the task at hand!

If it's true that muscle has memory please let it remember today!