Track Workout: 1600/1200/800/400 Ladder - 8 Miles Total

3 Miles Warm Up

Jump Rope (100)

6 x 100m Strides

1. 5:36
2. 5:10
3. 5:02
4. 4:17
5. ?
6. 5:19

Ladder (400m jog recovery)

1600	4:47 (71,74,74,67)
1200	3:32 (72,73,67)
800	2:13
400	64

2 Mile Cool down

Sean had been riding me pretty hard about doing well in this workout. After last weeks debacle 800m workout he tried to impress upon me the seriousness of this workout. He basically was challenging me to show up. This is in direct contrast to my mental approach to workouts. Since I almost never do well in my workouts but consistently race well, I have developed a laid back attitude towards workouts. If I hammer a workout it's a bonus. Since I've been working out with Sean and Luis, Sean has been challenging that notion. Today I had every excuse in the world ready for Sean:

1. I just got a massage Wednesday and my legs were still sore.
2. My legs felt flat.
3. I ran too fast the day before.
4. Yada, Yada, Yada...

To tell you the truth I really didn't expect to run well. But I really tried to have an open mind. When I was doing my strides Sean said it looked like I was jogging. I had trouble getting up to the pace I needed. He joked I should keep doing strides till I got on pace. He told me to shoot for 4:52 for the 1600. I thought to myself if I ran that fast then I would bonk the rest of the workout. The we did the workout.

During the 1600 I initially was feeling as bad as I expected to feel. I got way behind Luis and Sean early. By the 3rd lap I thought to myself I don't feel dead yet so I'll pick up the pace. Well I ended up shooting another 74 but I had enough energy to throw down a 67 to get under 4:52 by 5 seconds. At the end of the 1600 I felt pretty confident and I didn't feel dead.

I told myself I would be aggressive on the 1200, and I was with a 3:32 and another 67 last lap.

I was beaming with confidence on the 800 as well as ran a 2:13. I didn't get to catch my splits but I'm thinking I ran probably a sub 65 last lap.

I was confident but tired on the last 400. I ended up running in the second lane next to Sean. I really think I ran a 63 since I had to run in the second lane for much of the lap but my watch got me down for 64 officially (a little longer than 400m). So whatever.

I think I earned a little respect today from the guys. I actually pushed them a little bit and I believe that's what they expect from me. Otherwise, why am I here?