Morning 5k Tempo run: 22:56 + 2 x 200m@41,41

This morning I headed out to do my tempo run at 8:20 a.m. or so, I woke up at 7:15 a.m. though, but took my time. Anyway, started running from home and warmed up 15 mins including 5 x 50m strides to the Turia park. As I said yesterday, my brother is racing a 8k tonight, so I had to do that tempo run alone.

Yesterday I felt tired, so this morning I expected a tempo on tired legs and in terms of time I expected around 23:20-23:30 range as normal. I decided to go out a bit harder than normal in order to avoid the same mistake as last week, that the first km was very slow and then had to make up a lot of time in the second half.

Today I headed out at the expected pace, 4:35 for the 1st km feeling fine, but I was not sure that I could keep that pace for the whole run at the desired effort level, that is. I tried to keep the same effort level, but the second km came in 4:40 (9:15), I was running better than expected though and feeling fine but working, but I know that I always feel better in the second half.

halfway came in 11:32 (2:17 for those 500m, then lost time as usual in the turn around, but try to turn around as quicky as possible), then 13:49 (2:17 for that 500, so 4:34 for 3rd km) for 3k, feeling good. Then tried to relax as much as possible while maintaining form and under control, breathing was fine. 4th km came in 4:35 (18:24 for 4k), was feeling tired then, but keeping the pace I would run sub 23 mins, anyway, I just wanted to keep the effort and if that meant to run 23:00-23:05 I would take it, its not a time trial is a tempo run. However, with 100m to go my brother was there waiting in the finishing point and did a come on gesture, so I looked at the watch and it read 22:48 so I accelerated (not a sprint) and ran 22:56 (4:32 for last km) for the 5k, my fastest tempo in 8 years. I think that I ran faster than I should, but felt good today and this time probably indicates more my last 10k race, I will take it and I am happy about it. Second half was 11:23, so negative Split by 9 seconds.

After that jogged 400m easy, and then did 2 x 200m in 41.1 and 41.5 feeling controlled and smooth. Recovered 200m between repeats, then walked 100m and then started my cool down, did 12 mins at an easy pace so around 1.8k+. Around 10.2-10.5k for the day, feeling pretty good.