4 x 800 meters at half marathon pace – that is what my training schedule said for today. I have a confession to make. Usually when a distance event’s training schedule includes speed workouts, I skip them. I’m now doing my speed workouts.

There is one block in our neighborhood that I thought I had measured as one-half mile around way back when. I had intended to use this block for 800 meters.

I left a water bottle at my starting point and walked around the block at what I thought was my half-marathon pace – about a 14 min mile. (OK, it is really my 5K pace, but this is supposed to be a speed workout.) My first lap was 10:53! OK, I am faster than a 20-min mile. Obviously, it is more than a half mile around the block. For my two-min rest, I decided to walk slowly for 2 min., then start the faster pace at wherever I was. My second lap was 9:42 – still not down to half a mile, but closer. The third lap was 9:24 and fourth was 9:20.

Because I didn’t measure accurately, and I don’t know if I walked the same distance each lap, I can’t tell if I was actually progressively faster. However, I felt faster. And isn’t that important, too?

Other Things
It was about 18 degrees when I finally got out to walk tonight at around 7:30. I wore two long-sleeved shirts, fleece vest, jacket, long pants, knit hat and gloves as well as my gator for my neck. I also wore a reflective vest (Crashwear) and a head lamp. I started out feeling chilly, which I thought was a good sign. I took about 10 min to warm up before starting the workout. I left my water bottle near a tree.

I stoppped after every lap to walk slowly and to get a drink. I got pretty warm while walking fast and flipped open my gloves and unzipped the jacket a little.

When I finished walking and took off the reflective vest, there was ice down the front of it where the bottle had dripped! I have walked in all kinds of weather, and this is the first time I have formed ice on myself.

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