1k at a time

This Tuesday (30-6-09), I took Sonie with me to do some 1k all out efforts. We started by running to Centennial Park via Randwick Junction as we live close to each other. It was an easy jog to the park followed by 2x1k efforts with 2 minutes recovery.



While jogging down to the park, Sonie and I decided that i would run with Sonie on this workout to help with the motivation as she said she wouldn't do speed work on her own. So without knowing the course for the 1k, but describing it to her a bit, we started our journey on the first all out effort over 1k.

She started out quite quick and I was trying not to push her any harder than she was going, but I wasn't staying behind her either. I was thinking it was a pace I would be struggling to keep up with for myself, but she kept at it. Her breathing laboured, she did start to slow a bit after reaching the halfway point, but she kept pushing through. There is a short tiny hill to the finish on the 1k towards the restaurant with about 150m to go and this is where I noticed a decline in running speed, but still going hard.

When Sonie could see the 30 KPH painted on the ground around the bend, she picked it up to finish strong. I was completely amazed at the time when I looked at my watch and saw a time of 3:45. What an awesome time. I thought Sonie was going to hyperventilate as she struggled with her breathing. she started to get more control of it as I said she should try to get deep breathes in and out instead of rushing them.

However, there wasn't much time to enjoy it with only 2 minutes to recovery before going again. She wasn't completely recovered before we started so I knew this was going to be a challenge. I didn't know how much of a challenge because when we got about 250m into the run she had to stop as she said she couldn't see much and felt like she was going to pass out. We promptly stopped running and I tried to get her to catch her breathe and calmly walk slowly. I will only say that is an all out effort if ever there was one.

Sonie is so keen, she recovered and felt better after some slow deep breathes and walking that she wanted to give it a go, so we finished off with about 500m of all out effort. She finish the 500m in 1:48 which would have put her on target for another 3:45. Although, I don't think she would have run it that fast again, I couldn't ask her to go much harder. What an awesome effort.

After a jog to the park entrance, I told Sonie it was my turn, but I wanted to make sure she was okay before leaving her on her own to get home. so I returned to the same start spot and got into it.

I finished the first one in 3:26 and felt a little disappointed with myself as I think I should have gone a bit harder and gotten under 3:20, but I didn't have time to think about it as I had another one after 2 minutes.

My second effort was a bit easier start with the slight downhill and a gentle tail wind, so I took advantage of those two things and got into a quick pace from the start. I was trying to get as close the the same time as I could and needed the quick start to do it. This also meant I would have to maintain the pace for the whole km. I felt myself starting to slow down about halfway through, so I focused on quick feet and getting the leg back.

This helped me get back into a rhythm and allowed me to have a strong finish to the end to complete the second 1k in 3:26 as well. I know I had given it my all that time as I didn't even want to walk afterwards. I just stopped and tried to catch my breathe.

I was happier with the second one as I had nothing left and felt I could have given the first one a bit more of a push because I didn't feel the same after it as I did the second. Overall this is a great workout and very tough as the speed work has been much shorter in distance recently.