Luke - 6.25

Joined a group for a track workout--my first in a long time.  After a 15-minute warmup and some strides, the workout was 4, 8, 12, 12, 8, 4 with 400m of each at mile pace and the rest at 10k pace.  The faster 400 could be anywhere inside the 1200s or 800s (the 400s would just be at mile pace).  The rest was one minute after the 400 and two minutes after all the others.
My first 400 was 72 and didn't feel too bad.  For the 800 I chose to do 200 at 10k pace, 400 at mile pace, 200 at 10k pace.  The minute rest was pretty short so even the slower pace was a bit tough; my 400 took something like 76 but was very difficult.  My total 800 time was 2:39.  My plan for the 1200 was the fast 400 right in the middle and I knew it would not go well.  My first 400 was I think 89, and the mile-pace 400 was not much faster, like 84 or something.  The total time was 4:23 which is only 7 seconds under 6:00 pace.  During the two-minute rest I went to a portapotty to pee real quick, and then started up what I knew would be my last rep--I assumed going in that I wouldn't be able to finish the workout, and really even doing the second 1200 was kinda pushing it.  It was pretty ugly; my middle 400 was barely faster than the other two and my total time was 4:39.  I jogged around a bit while the guy I'd started the workout with finished up, and then cooled down for a little while with him and a couple others.
The workout definitely kicked my ass but I had to do it so that I can try again next week, and again after that, until it's not so bad any more and I'm a little less slow.  I'll probably join this Thursday night group (they're called the Flyers, just like Steve's old group...it's probably the most common running-group name out there) most weeks.  It's coached by an Olympian, that's something.