Speed Thrills

Yesterday I went up to the track for some speed work. With a 5K race next weekend I was needing some speed. Speed work always seems to loosen up the muscles that get so accustomed to tempo runs, long runs and easy runs. I mean, we're talking about airing it out. Ahhhhhhh.
I did my warm up mile jog then started with a hard paced 1600m. It felt great and I had a sense that I had adopted my barefoot running style that has a way of minimizing the impact of the foot and heel. I land on the rear outside side of my foot and roll over and through to push off with the inside ball of my foot at the front. An amazing awareness came over me. So did some idiocy as I managed to erase the lap time on my watch.
I next did a 1200m and was smart enough to look at the watch at the end which read 5:45, a PR. Again I discovered a new way to erase it unintentionally; and I did it as I was starting my 800m which bummed me out and I didn't put in quite the effort as I crossed in a pedestrian 4:02.
For the final 400m I was raring to go and just kill it. A neighbor jogged onto the track and chatted me up as I approached the start line. I said it was time to roar and said bye. I always do better with an audience and smoked it in 1:36.5. My previous PR was 1:46.6. Bring on some fasty runners. I'm getting better at the same time I'm getting older. I am feeling good!