So yesterday I finally got off my but and swam a 1500m for time in the morning and attempted to run a fast 5km in the evening.

The swim went better than expected. after 3500m of the normal practice the last set was a 1500 or 15×100.  I chose the 1500. I had two times in my head.  anything over 22:30 would be bad and anything under 21:15 would be good. everything else in between would have been just ok. The first 200-300m I went after feeling. It felt great so I kept my head down and just kept swimming. Around 600m I was too curious so I looked up at the clock and it was just over 8min (8:04).  The thought “way to fast” popped into my head, and I started to slow down. Had I been able to hold that pace I would have been down around 20min.  NOT TODAY. At 1000m I checked my time again and it was 14:04. I had gone from 1:20/100m to 1:30/100m and I was not tired, and had no reason to hold back. I managed to swim the last 500m in 6:54 1:23/100m and was under 21min for the first time since late winter/early spring (20:58).

At Swedish Nationals I have been known to swim a lot of off events.  This year at our LC Nationals I will concentrate on the 1500m, the last event on the first night. It would be nice to get down under 19:30 LC and then under 18:45 SC in March at the SC Nationals in Stockholm.

When Jeanette got home for her double workout, I put my running shoes on and went out for a 5km. My dream time of 22:30 means 4:30/km average.  I am not there yet. But if I don’t push myself I will never get there. I was sore from the 5 hours of wondering around town Friday night with the “Parents on Patrol”, as well as the 95km bike ride Saturday, and I might have been slightly tired from the 1500m early in the day, but I was going to give it my all. My pulse raced from 119 up to 168 with in the first km and I was already starting to breathe hard, 4:25. I keep pushing fwd. the second km feels better, 4:42. hmmm I thought I was slightly faster than that. OK, no 22:30 today, but I knew that before I started. during the third km I get into a rhythm and felt like I could runt like this for another 6-7km.  That would make for an OK 10km time. But it turns out that I was no longer running fast but comfortable. I was not sore and I was able to maintain good posture but I must have been tired. the last 3 km were 4:51, 4:55 and 4:56. finished at 23:52.  I actually opened the first 5km of the Musikmilen faster (23:27) but for me it is easier to follow someone else’s pace than to make my own when it comes to running.

First time posted 44:50.  This winter I am hoping to get under 42:00.  I had 41:53 two years ago. Ultimately I would like to go SUB 40! But that means running down around 21:30 and a swim down around 18:30 in March.