Lead.

4mi. I can say there haven’t been 4 times in ten plus years of running Paul’s workouts where I was the leader of the group. Worded carefully, I’m not claiming I was the fastest one there, Mike and Steve can clearly outdo my best interval efforts. However it happened, Steve ran his own themed intervals in the track’s outer rings and Mike ran right with me on the 600m efforts. I ran the 200m jaunts solo. There was a guy with a Runner’s Depot shirt on, he had exaggerated breathing. He worked his way up near us on one of the 600m dashes, but that’s it. Me in front.

I won’t need “leader’s confidence” in Boston, but it does keep you aware of what’s going on when you want to relax. You are ahead, don’t bonk out or start too quick! Here’s the mix of intervals, only 2-600m repeats…

1 mi warmup jog
200m w/100m recovery
200m w/100m recovery
200m w/100m recovery
600m w/200m recovery
600m w/200m recovery
200m w/100m recovery
200m w/100m recovery
200m w/100m recovery
600m w/200m recovery
200m w/100m recovery
200m w/100m recovery
200m w/100m recovery
600m w/200m recovery
200m w/100m recovery
200m w/100m recovery
200m w/100m recovery

It was 64 degrees. That’s nice for this kind of run and time of year!