Tempo Run: DC Edition.

This weekend I was in DC to visit my best friend D in our old stomping grounds.  In between the eating, drinking, and shopping, I did my first tempo run of 6 miles - more than I've run in at least 2 years.  I ran from Dupont through Georgetown and back, with some random loops here and there to tack on mileage.  I still consider DC "my city" since it was such a huge part of my life for a long time, so it was really fun to  do this run.  Plus, Georgetown is gorgeousssss.

*Image via here.

I had issues with my pacing, although my splits turned out semi-ok in the end.  I really have NO idea what a 10 minute mile feels like compared to an 8 minute mile, except one is obviously faster.  


My goal was to run 2 miles at 10:21 (easy), then 3 miles at 8:46 (short tempo pace), then the last mile at 10:21 again.  What I learned is that 10:21 is uncomfortably slow and 8:46 is borderline uncomfortably fast.  A big part of the problem was that I had to stop, constantly, for lights/crosswalk signals... so my pace would jump way up to 13:00/mile, I'd panic and go way too fast when I got the light, and then before I knew it, I would be at 7:30/mile.  It seemed to even out alright in the end, but I felt like I couldn't settle into a rhythm at all.


Mile 1: 10:21
Mile 2: 10:15
Mile 3: 8:31
Mile 4: 8:47
Mile 5: 8:50
Mile 6: 10:15


Nevertheless, it was cold, I was running solo, going farther than I have in a looooong time, and trying to pace myself for the first time, so I consider this one a success.