Wonderful Wednesday

Wonderful Wednesday is the not-so-aptly named Wednesday workout I partake in during periods of arduous marathon training.  Wonderful Wednesday is the brainchild of my mother and her friend Sue (whom I refer to as Mommy #2).  Essentially, Wonderful Wednesdays involve either hill repeats or Yasso 800s (more on that later), well before the sun comes up.  You've probably already realized that the name Wonderful Wednesday does not actually reflect the quality of the day.  In summary, Wednesdays suck.  This morning was no exception.

My alarm sounded at the unfamiliar hour of 4:50 am.  I mindlessly lumbered out of bed.  With eyes still closed, I pulled on my running tights, long sleeves, and reflective vest.  Despite the premature start to my day, my stomach growled.  I downed a Scott's Loaded Granola Bar- literally the most delicious granola bars I've ever tasted in my life.  Gone are the days of choking down energy gels and chews- Scott's Granola Bars (namely the Trail Runner bar) are my favorite running food.  I hesitantly slunk out the front door and was slapped by the freezing pre-dawn temperatures.  I met my mom and her co-worker/friend Joni (fellow "committed" runners) for this early morning milieu.  The start button on my Garmin sounded the commencement of this Wednesday's journey.

We ran 7 miles, including 5 Yasso 800's.  Yasso 800's are the creation of ultra-runner Bart Yasso.  They are a series of 800m (half-mile) intervals with time specific goals.  For example, say your goal is to run a 3 hour and 40 minute marathon (my goal), you should aim to complete each 800m interval in 3 minutes and 40 seconds, jog/recover for another 3 minutes and 40 seconds, and repeat.  Ideally, a person eventually does 10 Yasso 800's in one workout.  Sick.  Each 800 is less than pleasant if you really push yourself... which I did.  One hour and four minutes later, my run was over and the sun still wasn't up.  I enjoyed a cup of tea and greek honey yogurt with chopped almonds as a reward.

You might wonder why I choose to partake in an atrocity like Wonderful Wednesday?  And the answer is... I don't know.  Seriously.  But I do know that I love the feeling of flying down a dark, silent road, and knowing that I've accomplished a small feat before most people have woken up.  Its empowering.  And it brings me back Wonderful Wednesday after Wonderful Wednesday.