Example of a running practice at the track

I had an average day today at the track, but ended on a positive note. Thought I'd just run you trough a "winter" practice for the mid-distance runners I joined.

Tuesdays are for short reps, Thursdays (today) for longer ones.

-Warmup jog : ~3km around a nearby park, pace 11-12kph, ~16 minutes.
-Short stretching (I needed it, still bit sore from Tuesday's practice)
-4 accelerations of 80m each (oh, am I sore...stumbling behind the others)
-Some 10 or more passes of a series of steps, hops and turns over hurdles ~1m apart.
-Various running excersize drills : skipping, heels to butts, run away, one leg skip, etc.
-3 more accelerations

Then, the main program:
6 or 7 * 1000m around the track, 3 minutes rest in between each, used to cover 200m to the starting line.
Very windy, down the straights. We "happened" to do 2x head wind, 3x tailwind.
It was har to pace them right, we took several attempts to get on the 4:05 we were instructed to run : 3m57, 3m54, 4m07, 4m02, 4m05.
Then the highlight of the day : I gave the others I'd been running with (behind) a 10s head start, to have something to aim at. I wanted a better time, and due to the wind was thinking of a 3.45. Afraid of the solo effort though, and my calfs getting more stiff very next 1000.
I got a good rythm right away, clocked 42s at 200m (I needed 45's for a 3m45). By 400m, I had already made up the 10s deficit, and had an empty track in front of me again. Now don't fade!! 600m I got 2m08 which is a decent training time as it is. The last lap (strong headwind) must have taken 85-86s, as I finished in 3m33.8.
Last April, I ran a 1000m some 2s faster, but it was later into April, where we did fewer reps. No way could I have done this time as a 6th paced 1000m. Those 4m00's are no easy jogging for me, although they ought to be some day.

Coach said I was just running the first 5 too slowly, I should be able to do all 6 in 3m45. Perhaps yes. If that last one I wasn't even really forcing it, just getting a good flow going, and breathing like a...well just breathing hard.

I scored a new sports watch at the supermarket : €22. It has a pedometer (yet to calibrated) and came with a skinny heart rate chest band.
The 4m+ 1000's, I did the last straight at 177bpm. On the early <4min reps, I was at 183rpm.
I was meaning to check after the finish of the 3m38.8, but was a bit overwhelmed, and as we were done, got to chat with a teammate.
182bpm was my cycling threshold, a good 10 years ago. BAck then, my running max was 203bpm, cycling max 195bpm. I never got to establish a running threshold, as above 170bpm I'd be in real trouble, usually forced to walk home.

M T B
Last sunday I went to MTB with a buddy. We took it way easy, on trails that are extremely twisty, but beautifully so. 5*9km of singletrack bliss. I wasn't even tired, had been focussing on efficiency, which proves very worthy on that track, as I tried my buddy to see. He was having a hard time keeping up which honestly I was barely using the pedals. Anyway, super fun track, that it challenges everyone in their own way.