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Going through it myself I had the same thing with the first session (I think @TW was with me at mile end track when we did it, if he can remember i am sure he will attest).
it did get easier.
here's the gpx from when I did it. from the notes i had a knee twinge so cut some of the sessions short and did a few out of order but the progression every couple of weeks is in there still.
in date order:
https://www.strava.com/activities/199394950/overview
https://www.strava.com/activities/202462879/overview
https://www.strava.com/activities/205370470/overview
https://www.strava.com/activities/213669036/overview
https://www.strava.com/activities/210846397/overview
https://www.strava.com/activities/218952865/overview
https://www.strava.com/activities/216300446/overview
https://www.strava.com/activities/221414149/overview
https://www.strava.com/activities/221414149/overview
you can see I went from 3 x 1mi at 7:10 to 3 x 2mi @ 6:55/mi only other sessions I did were social group runs at tempo pace or slower up to about 8 miles and the odd easy 5k.
first attempt at sub 45 10k was mo-run in greenwich and went out too fast and blew up on the hills. stupid course to try to run it.
https://www.strava.com/activities/224499868
had a crack the week after in regents on much flatter course, felt like death the entire time around. had a major wobble at mile 3 and was certain I wouldn't make it. ran fastest mile in mile 6 and sprinted the final quarter mile 50 secs faster than that pace.
https://www.strava.com/activities/227062588/overview
I miss being able to run like that :(
HatBeard-
Going through it myself I had the same thing with the first session (I think @TW was with me at mile end track when we did it, if he can remember i am sure he will attest).
It was a "fun" session.
I'd already been doing a lot of interval / speed work, and suffered when I expected to suffer (in the last third).
I was training for a marathon at the time iirc. In hindsight, I should have been running more race pace 5k & 10k efforts, and more long threshold efforts.
As it was, I was just getting much better at intervals.
NotThamesWater
As part of my newfound quest to try some structured running for the first time with a target of a 40 minute 10k, I tried some 2 mile intervals today. Rough plan was to attempt 3 x 2 miles at 10k pace (6:26 min/miles) as per the article @HatBeard linked to
I managed the first one - 2 miles in under 6:26 pace - but it completely destroyed me. Almost threw up at the end and had to sit down. Gave it 10 minutes walking to recover, but could only manage another rep at 7 min/mile pace.
Mixed feelings - happy that I could manage one interval at pace, but to run that pace for twice more the distance feels like a very very big ask.