Track training: Not as professional as it sounds

Once a week I take a break from ruining my knees on the pavements of Bristol and inhabit the running track at Whitehall. It's nothing special, just a basic track with a few spectator seats, but it's my little mid-week haven.
As some people will know, I train at the track every Wednesday, without fail. I have the most wonderful group of friends who are so supportive of my hapless running ambitions, and they fully understand that I can do most things, most days, except a Wednesday. I've been quite committed to my track sessions since I got back from university last May, and I train with my old running coach, Dave. I quit his running group when I was about 15 but he somehow managed to pick up my mum (oi oi - no no she's a married woman) and has trained her into a running superwoman - she's ranked top 5 in the UK for her age group - so I thought I'd tag along and attempt it...

Just me finishing a track session

Track training is bloody hard. It has some great benefits; it gives you a completely flat and consistent surface to run on and it teaches you to be disciplined. The sessions usually work on speed but definitely help with longer runs, when your legs are dying and you feel like they're about to collapse. Track training is definitely a love/hate thing but it has undoubtedly given me a bit of spring in my step.

As I'm still slower than everyone else in the middle-distance group, Dave gives me my own session. He also gives me a watch which beeps every 100m - the idea is that I should be either matching or beating the beeps; it can get intense. Luckily I have a fabulous training partner. Hen is quicker than me but we do the same sessions and she is always super encouraging when I'm moaning that I'm hungry or complaining that my legs ache.

Last night was Wednesday, and if you've been keeping up then YES that means a track session. Last night's session was:

5 x 400 at 88 secs with 80% recovery
3 x 400 at 86 secs with 100% recovery
2 x 400 at 84 secs with 120% recovery (YES THANK YOU DAVE)
2 x 200 at 'dying'

I'm not going to lie, those times are not very fast in the grand scheme of life. I definitely feel quite sluggy compared to everyone else at the track, especially since I heard one of the sprinters call me 'the slow one', cheers honeyyyyy, sisters are doing it for themselves and all that. 

NOT SO SLOW WHEN I'M WINNING STOUT

Anyway, Hen wasn't training last night (super sad) so it was just me and that little beeping watch. Me and that little beeping watch have had many stern words over the past year and I'm not going to sugarcoat it, sometimes I despiiiiiise that watch. But thanks to a lot of encouragement from my real-life mum and my surrogate running mum Sarah, I got round in one piece. Also I was wearing some super tight lycra shorts, so basically looked well professional and didn't want to let down the lycra-loving side.

Wednesday track sessions are probably the hardest, but most enjoyable session of the week. I always feel like I've actually achieved something and imagine that I am Mo Farah in female form, just with an extra few pounds on the old derriere...

This is my happy post-track/drunk face