Track Workout - mile repeats (drop 1600s)

Today was a drop 1600: 3 x 1600 with each 400 getting faster and faster; 400 times to be:

1:42.5
1:40
1:37.5
1:35

I thought about this a lot before I did the workout and was like "how the hell am I going to do this?" I am horrible at pacing and I bet if I looked into detail at my past mile repeats you'd see that each 400 progressively got slower. Plus, you set the baseline for the entire mile in the first lap and from there, you don't have much turning back. Since my first lap is usually the easiest/fastest I was in quite a pickle today. Further, if I was to follow this that would be a 6:35 mile. I don't think I've done one 6:35 mile yet alone three.

On to my results:

Mile 1:

Lap 1 = 1:36/165 bpm
Lap 2 = data lost since I'm an idiot and hit stop instead of lap...guessing around 1:40
Lap 3 = 1:41/182 bpm
Lap 4 = 1:39/185 bpm

Mile 2:

Lap 1 = 1:43/159 bpm
Lap 2 = 1:39/177 bpm
Lap 3 = 1:37/184 bpm
Lap 4 = 1:37/186 bpm

Mile 3:

Lap 1 = 1:39/160 bpm
Lap 2 = 1:38/177 bpm
Lap 3 = 1:43/182 bpm
Lap 4 = 1:33/185 bpm

So Mile 1 was kind of messy, esp w/the lost data. After my first interval on the track I am usually feeling better because I've gotten started and I have less left to do than when I got there. This was not the case after mile 1. I was pissed that I had to do another one let alone another two. 6:36 mile (i think)

Mile 2 was the only interval that I did what I was supposed to as far as drop each lap but it felt kind of hellish. 6:36 mile

Mile 3 was insanity! I wish my lap three could have been faster and more in line w/the drop theory because I did end up finishing really strong. That was a 6:33 mile!

So now that I'm at home and really looking at the numbers I think this is great! I know I didn't achieve exactly the numbers I was supposed to hit, but for the most part I improved toward the end of the mile and for me that is huge. As I mentioned above, I usually do the opposite.

Yay!

There were all sorts of important-looking running groups at the track and one guy struck up a conversation with me about my Garmin. He's a Master's runner that ran at the University of Oregon with Prefontaine! He asked me to come and meet his coach after I was done and I said sure. He explained that his coach is called the "5th Bowerman" and grew up next door to Bill Bowerman and his 4 kids. Apparently they were close. So I met the guy and he seemed like a really old school and important track dude. He is a track coach now at Lake Oswego H.S. and their team is pretty good. I talked with them a while about racing and training and all that stuff. They told me about all of these track meets that take place locally and in Eugene and said I should participate. I love this about running - there is me with my matching technical shorts and tank and fancy electronics, then these old school dudes who are just hard core. Despite that we still have something to talk about. It was awesome! Hopefully I'll see Keith and Bill out there again!