Monday Training (Sub 50:00 10k Speed work Session 1)

With storm St Jude blown out, it was back into the training tonight.  I'd done a little bit of research today with regards to finding a plan to bring me up to running sub 50:00 for a 10k.

So tonight, I put that plan into action...

Using the workout function on Garmin Connect, I sent the following workout to my Forerunner 405...

So the plan was to run a relatively sedate warm up between 8:30-9:00 min/mile pace then 5 lots of 4 min intervals at just above Sub 50 10k pace, ie. 7:45-8:00 min/mile pace then with a 2 min recovery between 8:30-8:45 min/mile pace between each effort.

Off I went...

Take a quick look at the splits...

As you'll see, I managed to stick to plan for interval 1-3 but it went a bit off on interval 4-5 but hey, it was the first time I'd ever attempted intervals over a distance like this so I was very much outside of my comfort zone.

Having said that, I coped ok.

At no point did I feel like I was going to collapse through exhaustion so I did have some left in reserve.  And to come in at 52:14, only 20 seconds outside of my PB which I run back in May 2013 before I started suffering from knee tendonitis, I'm absolutely delighted.

Bearing in mind I started with a relatively sedate 15 min warm up, I know I can go quicker.  I know I can go quicker on the intervals, I know I can go quicker on the recovery...its just a matter of putting it all together.  Practice will make perfect.

The session has given me a lot of food for thought and has really given me a spring in my step.  I really dont think it will be that long before I'm running a sub 50:00 10k.  Fingers crossed.