First interval session

Intervals are hard! Today I did my first session. A 1.6km (13 min) warm up run. I then did:

400m in 2:24 (5 seconds above goal pace)
200m walk then 200m jog back to the start to recover
400m in 2:14 (5 seconds below goal pace)
200m walk then 200m jog back to the start to recover
400m in 2:12n(7 seconds below goal pace)
200m walk then 200m jog back to the start to recover

I was a bit of a wimp and stopped after 3 intervals. I should and could have pushed on to do 4 intervals, but if I'm completely honest with myself, I did give myself an 'out'.

I set everything up yesterday afternoon by borrowing a trundle wheel from work. I mut have looked quite an idiot walking down the pedestrian path, eyes to the ground, counting the metres. The worst thing was there are lots of other cyclists and runners, and I couldn't look up at all or I'd miss seeing the little arrow tick over on the wheel (there was no 'click' noise), so I couldn't see anyone coming.

I suppose though, that I should be pleased with my run today. For starters the whole way home from work I was having an argument with myself in my head about how tired I was, and how much I didn't feel like going for a run, and how much I wanted to lie on the couch and eat chocolate. I nearly didn't win that argument - the temptation was huge. So I managed to at least get out there, and I also managed to run some intervals.

As I said, the intervals themselves are harder than I thought. 400m might seem pretty short, but it takes longer than I thought and there is enough time to have another conversation with yourself about how tired your legs are and how much you don't feel like it.

Onwards and upwards though. Next week I'll try for 4 intervals, and I'd like to not have to walk in between each set too. Certainly something to work on, and hopefully this will give me a focus for my running.