Torture Tuesday

Not only was it Torture Tuesday with this guy dictating the plan:

But I was a giant dummy, and talked smack how I was going to do 10 intervals instead of 8 so I could complete my first Yasso 800s.  Even though there was no way to complete them in the 8 miles I was supposed to do, and even though I had never done that many intervals before.

So I get to the gym to get started...  This is how all speedwork starts... you feel like you are walking a plank and about to jump off a cliff.  Sometimes I'm a little fearful of speedwork, other times I feel stoked... but for the first time ever, I felt very nervous.  I really shouldn't have talked smack!  I've never conquered a workout quite like this... But I jumped off the cliff.

At the start, there was a chick next to me also doing intervals... this never happens.  It was odd, especially cause this chick was doing some smokin fast intervals and it was driving me up the wall.  You know how annoying even small things can be when you're at high exertion.  And I'm not even sure why it annoyed me.

Knocked out interval 1, 2, 3, and 4 - 800m at 8:49 pace.  I felt awful.  My stomach was churning... and I was certain I would either puke or have an SUAR moment. 

Shew... speedy interval chick was done... so I was back to being by my lonesome.  Where I could focus in my own misery.

Shockingly, intervals 5, 6, and 7 felt great.  Again - 800m at 8:49 pace.  Somewhere during interval 7, I hear this dude behind me say "How about cranking up the speed a little bit there, slow poke."  I was about to jump off the treadmill and take him down when my look of death got the response "no, no, noooooo, I wasn't talking to you.  You are running faster than I run (liar!)."  Apparently he was talking to the lady 2 down from me... I certainly hope they are friends and like to joke... because the treadmill is when my sense of humor is at an all time low.

As I finished interval 8, sweating like a pig, I thought "Why in the world did I talk smack to Adam?"  He told me to do 8 intervals, and said he was "working me up" to Yasso 800s (10 intervals).  I told him that I had this workout spanked and would do the 10.  So uh, here I was done with 8 realizing what an idiot I was... but I couldn't let down coach after all my talk.  Back at it.  Interval 9 complete.  One more to go, so why not just go down in style, right?  So I cranked up interval 10 to an 8:34 pace (you all know I run at 11s, so I hope you realize how hard this was...).  Anyhow... and it was D-O-N-E.  And even though I was fried... I was alive and standing.

Yasso 800s at 8:49... that's 4:25 per interval... which is supposed to be a marathon predictor.  That would be a 22 minute PR... yes please!!!

Now, I may have finished standing up, but I was light-headed when I headed out of the gym and could not seem to shake it off.  Got home and shoved down some protein and carbs, but still couldn't shake it.  Now... 4 hours later, I still feel like... well... this:

But that's ok... because I rocked the workout.  Woo-to-the-hoo!!!  (And perhaps @BartYasso even tweeted me about the workout.  Top reason to love him... he's so personable and supportive to the running community, even the little guys/gals.)

Side Note:  Yasso 800s are 10x800m intervals with 400m recovery jogs.  A hard workout widely accepted as a marathon time predictor.