NYE Track Workout!

Happy New Year! I can't believe that 2012 has already come to an end and 2013 is off and going. I am very thankful for everyone, and everything, in my life and feel that 2012 was one of my best years in awhile! Back in the beginning of the year, I was still contending with a broken foot, unable to run and not sure what the coming year would bring. Almost unbelievably (to me), I was able to overcome the setback and build my health back to a good enough state to get me to Ironman 70.3 Worlds and get some reasonable running results under my belt along the way too.
It seems fitting then, that since I started the year in such a weak, injured, state that I should bring it to a close with a workout that would prove that I'm anything but that today. It was week 7's SOS workout -- The Ladder. A workout I had not been looking forward to since I first read it in the Hansons book!

Here's the workout:

Ladder

4-8-12-16-12-8-4 on (1:20, 2:40, 4:00, 5:20, etc.) w/400m jog recovery

400m - 1:19

800m - 2:43

1200m - 4:04

1600m - 5:28

1200m - 4:07

800m - 2:45

400m - 1:20

conditions: 18 degrees, clear skies, light winds

Unfortunately about 250m of Lane 1 on the track was still covered in snow & ice.

On first look at these times, I wouldn't be real pleased but considering the fact that I did this workout on a track covered in snow & ice, I am pretty excited about the results. Next week will be my final week of the 'Speed' portion of the Hansons Marathon Method training plan, as I will be removing one week, in order to meet my timeline for the LA Marathon. The workout will be 3 x 1mile at 5:20 pace. 

Also, since I missed a post or two last week due to the holidays I should update you now on that. After the inital track workout, detailed in my previous post, I hit the treadmill for my tempo-run on Wednesday due to continued snowy/icy conditions outdoors. A brutal 10-mile day on the treadmill with 7-miles at tempo pace, it was nice in that I didn't have to worry about footing or about hitting the pace correctly. Here were my splits from that workout: 

7-mile tempo run (avg 6:06 pace) - (treadmill): 

6:04, 6:05, 6:05, 6:06, 6:05, 6:06, 6:05

avg: 6:05/mi pace

Aside from that, the week was pretty standard... just full of easy mileage without a long run on Saturday. Overall mileage for the week (week 6) was down a little bit to just 45 miles. Next week (week 7) that'll jump up to the low 50's. Hopefully the weather will hold out so that I can get in a solid tempo effort tomorrow and a good long run of 14 miles on Saturday. 

Thanks again for reading my BLOG and keeping up with my progress. I hope that the holidays were wonderful for you and that you are as excited as I am about chasing new goals in 2013. Happy Training!